The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-29 00:00:00

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Porhauseut, were the highest which could he sin-
posed upon any man, so he was out to he prreel►ted
Trani diacliarging thesis by the acts of private i►►di-
vutuals. The Hon. Gentleman then cited two cases
in point—one in the year 1676, another io 1707.
In the latter care, though the individual in custody
on uterine proems fur several debts, had hero 1116.
charged out of it, the blouse were by no means
disposed to view Ina case wills a partial eye. fur the
Tint thing they did after he took his seat was In
expel him for an irreligious publication, written by

him some •ears before: -
Mr. W. WTsrt then moved—" That Mr. Robert
Ch►istie Burton be discharged out of the cmtudy
of the %yerden of die Fleet Prison."
The 'motion was put, and carried unanimously.

EXTENTS IN AID.
Mr. W. SNITaI moved—•' That there be laid
before the House, au Nrconnt of all lExtents in Aid
issued from the Itemembrasicer'4 Office, from Janu-
ary, tam to January, 1819 "—Ordered.

LICENSING SYSTEM.

Mr. BgststErr said, he had a Petition to present
front a publicist in Bristol, complaining of arbi-
trary conduct its a certain Magistrate in that city,
in reftesirig to grant a license fur a house which lied
beers licensed during a great number (we believe
forty) of years. tautwitlistanding the application
had been accompanied 'by the certificate* of the
churchwardens of the parish, and all other neces-
sary documents. lie took that opportunity of
givirsg notice 14 his intention to bring in a Bill,
after Easter, to regulate the mode of issuing and
tasking awry licenses.
air. PROTHEROE said he thought the worthy Ma-
gistrate complained of in the Petition was not ca-
liable of acting in the tyro 111 l real way imputed to
him. Ile considered it dire to any friend, whose
character he heard impeached in a place where
it was impossible he could speak for himself, to
come forward and endeavour to remove the impres-
sions which usifouisded statements were calculated
to produce, if suffered to remain unanswered.
Mr. HART Davis shortly defended the character
of the Magistrate.
Mr. B. BATHURST said. that as far as he under-
stood the Petition, it was a complaint against is Ma-
gistrate for refusing to license a victualling house;
but surely if arty tyri 1111 l ous or improper conduct
had been experienced by the Petitioner, there were
other modes of remedying it than applying to Par-
liament. He learned from the public prints. that.
. .

.o later than a few days ago, a criminal information
had been granted iu tlw Court of King's Bench
again* a Magistrate. on the ground alkg. d. The
Courts of Law were the proper place for an hob.
vidual injured in this way to appeal to; and miles,
there was something l►eculta► in the caw, it was toe
mud' to trouble the House with what could not be
brought before it with propriety in the first in-
stance. Tire individual complaining should have
first applied for redress of his supposed wrung to ■
Court of Law.

Mr. lleustrr replied, that the Courts of Law
acted in Snell cases of the kind as had hero brought
within their cognisance on peculiar Frinciples. and
such as were by 110 means calculated to satisfy the
parties who conceived themselves injured. They
had laid down a rule, and lie was at a loss to tin.
der/bind from what source or authority they had
derived it, that, ill proceedings instituted against
Magistrates fur a breach of their powers in respect
of licensing. however arbitrarily these powers might
have "seen exercised, no punishment ought to be
inflicted, miles, they should have been proved guilty
of acting from corrupt motives. When the Petition
in question had been put into his hoods, he bad
deemed it of sufficient importance to claim the at-
tention of the House ; nor was the objection well-
founded that the Petitioner should have, in the fitst
instance. applied to a Court of I.ow. Ile had
heard of Magistrates acting most cruelly and tyran-
nically. while at the same time it was toot possible
for the objects of their cruelty to have redrees in a
Court of Law. It was his thin determination to
bring that great question. fora great question he
should cull it, under the investigation of Par-
liament.
Mr. COURTENAY hoped his lion. Friend would
see that the matter contained in the Petition was
so peculiarly a quer of law, as to acknow-
ledge the propriety of withdrawing it.—(Cries of
I" Withdraw r,)
Mr. HUME said that the House was greatly in-
debted to the lion. fieutlentan (Mr. Bennett) for
having led the way to the production of such a
valuable mass of information on this important
subject, as it had received some years hack.
Reading those papers. any one must sec that great
evils had existed in the licensing system some time
back. perhaps still ; and was it not that that lion.
Member had taken up the subject again, he should
certainly have deemed it his duty to do so. If
that House sat to remedy the general abuses of the
(votary. why was it not a proper place to examine
into such grievances as that complained of ? Ile
thought it the must proper place. If the Courts
of Law were shut in certain cases against indivi-
duals suffering under an abuse of the powers com-
mitted to Magistrates, why should they not be al-
lowed to turn themselves there ? All that had
been said of the character of the Magistrate might
be true—he might be a man of most exemplary
general conduct—and yet iti that individual in-
stance there might have been some reuse of com-
plaint against him, or lie might have acted from
false views or erroneous impressions. lie depre-
cated the idea of the Muse shutting its doors
against Petitions of that nature.
The question was then put that the Petition he
read, but Mr. BENNETT intimating Ili* tvi,ll 'hot
it should be withdrawn, it was accordingly with-
drawn.

STAMPS, LAND-TAX,
Mr. MacporraLu moved that there he laid be-
fore the Home--

"Ist, Au Aecoont of the Salaries of all Distributors II(
Wimps, wad of t►e thstriets to which attached, earl of all
other peak sad esitolostaus granted to such respectively,
from the sth January, 11117, to Sib homey, 1519, together
with se wretiout of the balances to their bawds us the sth
April acrd Mb October of earl. year, of sU arrears in their.
►reds ow tbe tub Janitory, 1519, and of the sioutiat of the
severities gives ►y each.
" 2d, AN Accommt of the same of all &feints of t►e lend
Tau, and of' the pro Ats awl etsidoineeta by these enjoyed
respectively, Gm the sth Jaosary, III?, to bib Januar),
11119; together with an seamed of the halasees in their
bugs en the bib April sad bib °dither of each year, awl
of all utters is their hands on lb. bib January, 1119; and