The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-05-19 00:00:00

6IIIECI7RES.

Mr. HENaar MARTIN said, that he had only this
day learned that the Right Lion. the Chancellor of
the Rachel-Art inte.:Jed to propose certain Reso-
lutions, Which would partly go to negative those
he had lately submitted to the House, as to the
abolishing of certain Offices and Sinecures.—This
he thought was rather uneandid, as he formerly
bad been given to undarstaind they were to be fair•
ly discussed.—fie should therefore wish the Right
1100. Gentleman would propose some day when
!loth sets of liesolut. might be discussed.
The CHAWCELI.oR of the EIRMEQUA.It said, he
could not think the hit set of Resolutions were en-
tirely at variance with those of the Hail. Gentle-
man. After they were printed, he would have no
objection to both sets being discussed together.

DEBATING SOCIETIES.

The ATTOILNET-(;great4l---," I rise in pursu-
ance to my notice, to move for leave to linsig in a
Bill to uniend an Act of the presenrKing, for pre-
ventiog Sedition* Meetings. of the propriety of
this no doubt call be entertained. By the Act of
the 36th of the King, all lonises *here meetings
took place were required to be licensed, end if not.
they were declared to be disorderly houses. That
Act having expired, it wii renewed by the 39th of
the King, which also enacted. that houses with. :.t
licence were to be deemed disorderly within the
meaning of the Act of the 36th ; but upon refer-
ence thereto, it was found that tli orderly homes
were not priperly defined, so that it was left doubt-
ful what were to be deeineti disorderly houses. lie
therefore meant to 1111/VC for Irate to briny iu a Bill
to amend the said Act of the 39th of the present
Kiog."
Mr. PONSOVBT said, he cduld not perffictly en-
dei,tand the Right 11011. and learned Gentleman's
object, sod therefore be would be glad to hear
come further explanation of it.
Tne Arroatttr Gartedet.--" I thowtht I had
explained the Act with sufficient precision when I
had referred the Bight lion. Gentleman to it, al-
though I had not detailed it to kim. Ify the 36th
of ..{tto King, it is convect that houses in which
debating societies shall lie held, fur the purpose of
discussing certain subjects therein derirribvd; and
at wltTio houses money .114'1 lie received for admits-
siou,sluill be licenced; awl wises se' tiory

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shell be deemed Mb; disorderly houSes, and the said on a former night, teat he would pay mg „
owners of theta' puiesliable as mice by the law. The attention to the remedy proposed, fur au evil ac-
, Act or the 39th of the King recites, that that pre. knowledged to exist. Here then was a confession
vivo. Act did not 4,1,4 to eertaiu purposes which of the evil, and that from high authority. With
the Legislature then attended st to apply to, mid, respect to the objections of the Chancellor of the
tiieternte, it enacts that houses in oliitio any De- Exchequer to the Bill, there would, he apprehend-
bating Societies shall be held, mod at which money ed, be do diffirelty in remielyiug them. He hoped
.hall be received for adiniseion, shall lie deemed that the dillieulties would not be the most loom-
disorderly Imiters,niul them, come the amts, o with- meet pointe iei the eye of the Ministers, but that
in the meaning of (lee Mat of the King," Now if they would come forward to give them moistener
the etith had stated precisely what dip orderly houses in a mutter of prinaary importance to thenixelvese.•
were, then it would have been plane upon reference Mr. D. Beowse denied that Parhanscut had
to Beet Act ; but in my apprehension, those words Inst the contidelice of the people ; e.. nif it had,
are wiluily inoperative, me scented of disorderly that Bill would not he wifficient to restore it, t&sr
houses nut being defined. Without these words lie was not aware that it had vet received the beano,
of reference to the Stith, the Act of the aeth of 'Alike Lyeurguses of the Crown and Anchor.
George 111. has its full operation, as it-elsewhere Mr. CUIWCN stated, that he had never attended
, gives a detinetion of disorderly houses. Some the meetiugs at the Crown and Anchor, nor was
ebeibts having been created by the introduction of / there a man in the country more hostile to env
those words, I have mentioned my tutu • g is to thing that threatened the constitution than himself.
tepee! that part of the Act of the eath, anti leave it Lord FOLasToNN said, that he would offer no
lm, lull *operation aithout them." opiiiion upon the assertion, that the parliament
Mr, I:Vint/tee:en said, he could not help re-. tenet not lost the coundeuce of the public. TI I
eels-king that the Right Honourable end Leareed Hon. Gentleman was but lately conic to the
theitleman appeared to hien to have urine stiWvii. House, anti perhaps had had opportueities of its-
tial realer' us yet unexplained, for they amehding curtaining the, spirit of the people with more
an Act which had fallen almost into oblivion utter ,correctness than he (Lord F.). As he was not
the lapse of tau years. present during some late transactions, he would tell
No reply was made to this observatfoa. the Ilea. Gentleman what had pissed in that
The inotiou was then put and agreed to. House; and, perhaps, lie would then see the 'le;
DILL AGAINST TRAFFICKING ,'OR SEATS IN cesiity of the measure under conetleration. If the
PAR LIA 311,N-F. Hon. Gent. had known that a charge had been
Mr. CtimeEa moved the second reading of lies brought against a Minister for selling seat. in that
Ell to prevent the traffic for seats in Pierlisiocid. House—that many Members had expressed their
Mr. PERIAVAL said teat he had stated the other belief and knowledge of such transactions—that
day that he would not oppose the House going iu- mealy had opposed silvery from the circumstance
to a Committee upon the epievticei ; he should ea- of the extent to which they existed, and the diffi-
rutty of prescribing limits when tile inquiry should
here to that promise; lie thought. however, that it
would not be amiss to amid liinewll of the uppor- atop—,f lie had known that, and that no ibersoil had
money tine presented, to state souse objections that the hardihood to disavow it, he would not, in all Fro-
st' tick him upon the subject, in order that Gentle- laebility, object to the bill before them. The bill shit
sues, might make up their ;elude upon theta, pre- not open a door to wild speculations, nor war it hi-
V;0111/ to their being committed. Ile thought the troduced to satisfy clamour ; it was brought for-
]fill objectionable from the manner in which it ward fur.the purpose of correcting abuser—abuses
described the offetice. It was also objectionable which had been stated to be as notorious as the sun
frornthe punishment it aasigned, and the prreau- at noon cloy. He was confident that if the lion.
tionary provision it proposea. If the Bill was to Gentleman had been aware of all this, he would
pass as it new stood, it would affect a great have agreed with him in °pimp'', that the measure
number of actions, which it could not have waL. expedient "d iudill'e""k•
Leto the inteaboti of the Honourable Member oar. 1..00am/a opposed the motion.
to affect. It would creme air toter incapacity to Mr. Poresomer said, that as there had been an
understanding that the question should be open to
fell • bur gage tenure property, because such sale
would come width' the scope of what the Act was debate in prieciple as well ii 3 in detail, on the ques-
tion, that the Speaker should leave the Chair, and
intended so preveut ; besides, the provisos of the
law acted both prospectively and retrospectively. as many Members. not expecting the discussion
He thought there would be great difficulty in get. until then, were absent at that moment', he thought
bog nil of those oliectione iii the Committee.— it wrong to proceed any farther in the present ti-
lt 'night be said, that a Jury would tint interpret stance.
Elie Bill was read a second time, and ordered to
•it in that sense, lint that was not a satisfactory sea- .
son why the Bill should he so loose. In penal she crimmitted to-morrow.
The Report of the Committee of Supply was
provisions, especially, it becaine them to be
guarded, at all events they should avoid making brought up, and the Resolutions 'tarred to.
any indefiuite unprecise enactments, when the pro. The Report of the Coinne.tee of Ways and
Means was brought up. Oii the Reaolutiou re-
;wets, and the reputation of the subject were to be
me materially affecteel. With respect to the pu- 'pectins; Lotteries being put;
Mamma, he did net think that the Honourable Mr. %ViitTalitAo said, that he would l'eg leave
Gentleman comet be serious in placing it rather in to restate the °bitten 111 l ii lie had mole noun a No-
the jurisdiction of die colinann law, than in a Cora. met night to that clause ; and oppose the second
tuittee of that Hume. :tte to the outh to be take,' reading of it. Tice Right lion. Cieutlego" op-
by Members, 'whims in his opinion could be more polite had said that the Committee went with their
objectionable. He was sure the House would never minds prejudiced to inquire into the roiliest; that
to each a ppe
.ition.What effect it (he he (Mr. W.) denied. They cerbeinly thought Pa it
=I) ro
would have upoa ale soloist elieseactre .a evils did exist, bat then - they coasidered the esi-
that house, when they looked to the Treating Act, dunce brought before them with iinpartmlity. It
they might see it. Ile coueluded with observing appeared From their report that the Lottery was so
that lie thought it mere fair for the 11„n. Member radically bad that no alteration was capable, of af-
mid to the House to state his objections caudally fording a remedy for the evils it entailedopenthe
at this stage of the Bill. that there might be a ' connumuity. It was contended that a spirit of ad-
Inure. ample disc assion nod souud coueideration of venture should be rutted among the people
• them wheel they came to Ise debated. in order to supply the exieencier of the Govern-
Mr. euawee agreed, in eurue degree, with the meet. but that it should' be stopped at a err-
ohjectious stated by the Right Honourable Geis- teen point. As far us the exciting of the
tlentan ; lie was, however, of opinion, that some spirit was concerned they were successful ; hut
means would be stretch out its the Committee to its the second paint 111mi/eters had completely
avoid them. It was not his intention to preveut the railed, and there was no check. as had been M.
see of burgage tenter. lie agreed diet it would tended and professed. It was dangerous in a country
be a stoat .noise thing; that on a lenient', where to which industry was so necessary as this, to ex.
the obligation of tin oath was to be imposed, post the people to delusive dreams and specula-
. the Bill should staud in such a way as to arl.nit • tions, which the Lottery was calculate', to excite;
of two colonist:times. He did not know of Cue even the poure.t were called upon to contribute to
morality which noculcated the prevention oft the support of aim state, and it was impolitic to
corruption in the lower classes, without extruding hold out any tetnptatiou in them to ex penal it
the tame principle' to the higher. In the prescitt tepee' visionary pursuits. Ala Pitt had attempted
state of the eountry, it would he a meet desirable the reforination of the Lotteries, but failed ; the
thiog to cousince tile people that no Member found principle was radically had. Ile could assure the
his way. into that Hose by improper influence ;it Honourable Gentleufan that there were calcule-
was of nesporttuice, because, whoever sat upon the tore new at work to counteract his plan, and thst
benches opposite, whoever were entrusted with the arrangements were already made to continue M-
erles of Government, would tiled it impossible foe surmices, even in case the drawing was colifined to
them to proceed without the confidence of the one day only. The Lottery was the permit of great
p.ople, lie was otdiged to the Chancellor of the misery. It was also the parent of every vice.—.
Exchequer for the caudid manner in which he hail Brothels were once licensed in this country. Auer
acted. He hoped that if lie (the Chancellor of Placed under the controul of the Bishop of Win.
the Exchequer) agreed in the principle of the Bill, chester ; hut even that system, immoral as it was.
"rich remedies would be uplifted to the objection- was superior, in point of morality, to the licensing
able parte in the Committee. as would ensure it his of lotteries. Even if they were instituted in the
support. present age, and the Chancellor of the Excheerver
Mr. Wltillailit said, that the House Was per. placed at their head, they would be less objection.
feeely willing to givr. the Haii. Gentleman's Bill able. When licensed brothelsceowd, licensed lota
fair play. The lion. Gentleman himself had con- teries sprang up ; so that awry devils were talons
fugal the inadequacy of its provisions; yet he in than cast out. All the crimes in the Decalogise
took occasion to haraneue the House upon the were introduced by it, and that for a sum ito pal.
propriety of adopting the provisions whose efficacy try as to be scarcely worth notice. lie thought
he himself deubted. He (Mr. W.) did lest know that no inconvenience would remit from trying the •
what the principle of the Bill was ; be therefore experimmit sue year ; lie would therefore prom-wee
ono- to make Imainotcst against agreeiug in is pain- it. He was surprised at the hardiness of the
i iele which he did not understainl. It was nut Right Honourable. eveutleetan, who attributed
.iit to enter into vague declamation and menace, the conduct of the Committee to entheisiasite--..
lie would say that they had not lost the confidence Ile disapproved of the colutoet of Mr. Wood, sii°
of the country; stint would deny the existent e of was pail fur Joints nothing. The society Gar the
corruption to so great an extent as the Hon. Gen- Suppression of 'vice had turned their attention to
tleniae seemed to consider. Ile would nut follaw Lotteries ; but it was in vain to endt-uvour to car-
the example that had bora art hint ; but would' Net the effect% without abolishing the sourer alto-
eineclude shortly, by simply declaring• his protest gether. He recomueuded m pie House to try
against firin considered as agreeing to the priu- the experiment for one year ;if it was found that
ciple of the Bill. the morals of the people were benefited by that
Mr. B geouuase said, that the House had a right suspension, he would expect their support for a
to demand the %whew' of ibis Majesty's Ministers, total aholition ; if the system was foiled to be
whether the slopes complained of were such as the vicious from top to bottom, the House, if it die-
Howie should go about • correcting. 'They now charged its ditty, must destroy that system.
stood in a sitmetion in which they never stood be- Sir THOMAS TUaTON said, that the speech of the
fare ;it was iww ha the history of parliament to Hon. Greatcoat] was an appeal to the passions and
hear things of eett.h a criminal nature evolved in the feeling, of the House; the facts to which he
that Houle as had been lately avowed. and said to alluded were without preset. If it was true that
he rer's ',buses. The question was, whether it was lotteries were productive of all the vices the Hnn.
an idle elnaionr, or a well fou'ided call, which in- Gentleman had ascribed to thrum, they ought to be
clever) ills. Hoe. Gentleman and the House to no- done away; but he del not think they were—end
tic" sthesee. Ova of His Majesty's Ministers badt bey *Sordid a great source of revenue to ex
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