The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-26 00:00:00

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Alb

60 ... v-- :.;le.- branch of dealing. This was not felt
::,. s ...,d, or Scotland, where the private bankers
can get sir-ill notes from the Bank of England ;
be the national Bank of Ireland was restrained, so
as not is extend its issues. He eaw no reason for
this distinfsion in the case of Irish private Bank's.,
as they must always have in their possession na-
tional notes, in proportion to their own issues, and
were therefore perfeCtly secure. He would leave it
co any Gentleman, conversant with business, to re-
Rea on the extreme inconvenienries that must ensue
ever here, if, while the restriftion on the Bank con-
tinues, there should be no smaller tha.; tree guinea
notes in circulation. In Ireland, the measnie had
a most desi:eable tendency, as the tradesmen there
had seldom any other way of getting his note ex-
changed, but of repairing to the public house, and
spending a great part of the money. He then moved
for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate the iuue of
small promissory Notes and Bills in Ireland, which
was agreed to. Che same Gentleman next observed
upon the great difficulties existing in the recovery of
small debts in Ireland, where creditors were often
obli};ed to travel from thirty or forty miles, to the
Quarter Sessions, at an expence perhaps superior to
the .vocunt of their respe'tive debts. The principal
ethic& Of the Bill he shi.old propose, would he to
give Magistrates the su7nrnary power of debts under
51. Nether; moved for leave to bring iii a Bill for
the more expeditious recovering of small debts in
Ireland. which was granted.
Dr. DUIGENAN gave notice of a motion which
he intended to make to-morrow ; but spoke in so low
arlinarticulate.a tone of voice, that we were unable
to tale) the meaning of it.
THE TTNTH REPORT.

Mr. HENRY THORN ro N presented a Petition
!robs the Common Hall, of the Eletors of the Bo-
rough of Southwark, convatulating the House
upon its late glorious Resolutions, upon the Report
of the Commissioners of Naval Inquiry. respeiting
the delinquency of Lord Melville. &c. hoping that
they would still further proceed in their enquiries,
&c. Ordered to lie on the table.

Alderman Sir WILLIAM CURTIS presented
a Petition to the same 'feet, from the Lord MAyor.
Corporation, and Livery of the City of London;
and

Lord FOLKSTONE another of a similar tend-
ency, from New Sarum, which were ordered to
lie on the table.
Eutcnow, _ _ _

Mr. CALCRA FT said, heheld in his hand a de-
claration made by Sir Francis Burdett, such as he
believed that Hon. Baronet had, by Ad of Parlia-
ment, a right to have presented to that House, ac-
cording to the law for regulating contested Elections,
which states, that if any declaration should be rnaJt
to the Speaker of the death of any Member, or of
his intention of not defending his election or return,
within a limited time, before the appointment of a
Committee, nu further proceedings shouid be had
upon it.
flue SPEAKER informed him, if the declaration
was drawn up according to the ad of Parliament, it
would be received.

Mr. CA LCItA F l' expressed ie to be his opinion,
that it was so drawn up.
The SPEAKER asked whether it was a partial
or a total alsandonmmt ?

Mr. CALCR APS' replied, that the hect answer
ermild he, to read the declaration (which he did);
containing a total abandooment of the scat, and a
disposition not to defend, on the number of legal
votes, against Mr. Mainwaring ; but, at the same
time, a s% ish also to defend himself from the charges
of bribery and corruption, imputed to him in the
Petition.

The SECRETARY at WAR thought the decla-
ration ought not to be received, unless Sir Francis
gave up all defence to the petition.
Sir J. NEWPORT, oh the other hand, contend-
ed that it was ‘uffirient to have abandoned the seat to
his adversary, and that .h-. Hon. Baronet should be
allowed to defend himself before a Committee, riri.
the charges of bribery and corraption, which might.
otherwise become cognisable in the courts below.
Mr. ROSE was of opiniod, that the declaration
could not be received, unless it contained a complete
abandonment.

It was at length, on the suggestion of Mr. GREY,
afteed, that c:r Franc-is should have time to amend
Ihus declaration, And Mr. CA tca AFT obtained leave
to withdraw hss motion.

7

~.., .

minty meetings when pi—Tarty dire led in supporting the
cause of independence, freedom, and public virtue—we can-
not help again and again declaring, that Lord Melvii:e hats
fallen I olefin to confidence misplaced, to preiud.ce rai:judle 1,
and to indignation misapplied-41r ha. been
mat a trier.—When an appeal has been offered to his intempe
tate judg,v—when a request has been to put him on his
defence--..'ien it has been ealiesey solicited to give him a
fair and a candM hearing, and then to come to a derision on
the merit. of the case—a strong and a presumptuous negative has
been given, diretted and elf weed by the violence ut the times."
The extra& being th-'is read by the Clerk—
Mr. GREY moved, that Peter Stuart, the Prin-
ter; end Publr.her of The Oracle, do attend this
House to mo-row.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, he did n t rise to oppose the present motion,
because the words contained in the paragraph just
read, were certainly libelous and insulting to the
House, but to observe, that before Gentlemen now
began to scrutinise every paragraph of the same
kind, that may appear offensive, they should consi-
der, that this was not the first time that paragraphs
refleding very freely on every public measure, had
made their appearance in several of the newspapers.
If, therefore, Gentlemen were now disposed to
commence a new system of rigour, they had to es-
pea, that it should be uniformly and impartially
pursued.
Mr. GREY expressed his inability to understand
whit was meant by tie Right Hon. Gentleman's
observations, unless t ley applied to those publica-
tions of the proceedings of Parliament, which were
given to the public. He had himself admitted, that
the paragraph complained of was a libel on the
House ; and in his experience, he always found that
whenever any Member thought proper to notice any
such aspersion, the House %%AS ready to punish
them. If the Right Hon. Gentleman himself had
ever noticed any publication. "t such a nature, and
omitted to bring them under the view of the House,
he was guilty of a negled of his duty; but, upon
the whole, he must own, that neither he nor his
colleagues ever deserved to be accused of any ex-
traordinary forbearance, when they themselves only
were in question.
Mr. FOX said, that if the Right Hon. Gentle-
man did apply the words uniformity and imparti-
ality to the report of their debates, he was at a loss
to conceive what they were meant to refer to. The
Parliament had a right, and were ever bound at all
ti-nes. to attend to, and protea their charaaer ; but
never were that right and duty more incumbent on
them, than at this particular time, when they saw
the high servants of the crown supporting and pro-
teding persons whom their resolutions had con-
demned. We had a right to suspea the whole of
the executive G wernment while these proteaions
were continued, when we find that since the period
of our passing those memorable resolutions, His
iv.eje.,ty u.. Lot been advised to dismiss any one of
the delinquents trona any of the numerous public
employments they still held, and when we observe
the present Treasurer of the Navy brav'ng the le-
gislature of the country, by retaining in a high situ-
ation a man who was proved by the report of the
Naval Commissioners to have declined answering
questions respelinig the peculation, of himself and
Isis colleagues. 'I he House at present should ad
in proportion to the strength and influence of its
adversaries ; and at all times should prove its dis.
pleasure when it found itself insulted.
Mr. CANNING considered it as a singular( rea-
son for the House inflicting a signal vengeance upon
an individual, to say that he, the Treasurer of the
Navy, had still retained Mr. Wilson, the party al-
luded to, in his former office. To allege that
the consequences of any malversation in him
should be extended towards others, did not ap-
pear to be either logical or humane. He declared
that he had not retained Mr. Wilson out of any
personal regard, or partiality towards him, but,
because he appeared to he a simple agent, riding
without any discretion of his own, under/the direc-
tion of another, ant placed in such circumstances,
that a refusal to obey would be a dereliction of his
office. The clause which entitled persons to refrain
answering any questions that might criminate them-
selves vras proposed in the other house, by the Lord
Chancellor, who could aot be supposed to have had
any partiality in such a subject. If ever Mr. Wil-
son should be condemned by the House of Com-
mons, or any other competent tribunal, he should
readily dismiss him ; but upon that he could not be
guilty of an aft of tyranny and injustice, whatever
unpopularity his forbearance might bring upon him
Mr. FOX disclaimed having said that what he
referred to was a reason for infliaing additional
vengeance on the person immediately complained
of. What he meant was, that there may he cir-
cumstances under which matters may he overlooked,
which, under others, should be noticed ; and of
this last description was the present offence, at the
moment that we found the servants of the Crown
the proteaore of delinquents.
Mr. CANNING said a few words in explanation.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, that with-
out attempting to argue the present question, he
should confine himself to one or two observations.
He was not surprised to find that the Hon. Gentle-
man (Mr. Fos) thought the present a time when it
was peculiarly proper to punish the offender. W hen-
ever that Hon. Gentleman, which, indeed, very
frequently happened, voted in a minority, he thought
it perfedly right to pass over harmless strictures on
the proceedings of the majority ; but now, when he
happened to concur in the opinion of the majority, he
thought quite otherwise. As to the particular case
before them, he said, he did not think that the read-
ing of a particular paragraph was always a discreet
ground for entering a prosecution. He was in the
habit of sometimes reading discussions of a very
free and unguarded nature, without thinking it ne-
cessary to commence prosecutions for them. He
would recommend to the Hon. Gentleman to re-
consider his Motion, and let what had already
passed be considered as a notice for to-morrow ;
because, however licentious may be the attacks
on the House of Commons, he did not much like
to see either the prosecution, originating with them-
selves, or, that they should constitute themselves
both the accusers and the judges. Ile thought that,
after the explanation already given, it was rather
extraordinary to hear the same charges repeated
against his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Canning).—
Ile considered dse proteaing clause in the Art of
Parliament to be altogether unnecessary, as the
common law of England was itself, in all cases, a
snfl cleat proteaion to any man against criminating
Ilinsteh ; and, if a refusal to answer such questions