The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-02-04 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER HUSTINGS BILL.

Mr. BFNNETT moved the order or the day for
the third reading of the Westminster Hustings
Bull.
Sir FRANGts BURDETT rose to move an amend-
ment. He said, he did not see that the High
Bailor of Westminster had any claim to the consi-
deration of the Hone. On every fair principle,
the claim of the High Bailiff was one which
could not be sustained—he not only held •
voluntary office which he might resign, hut for
the possession of that office actually paid u large
sum of money. The object of the Bill, he said,
was to give a recompense to the High Bailiff for the
eapens.s attending the Westminster Election. To
that object he saw objections in every point of view.
The Report of the Committee stated, that after
certain deductions, the emoluments of the office
of High Bailiff, that is, the actual profit of his
office, amounted only to the sum of 200/. a year.—
Now he could not but question the accuracy of
such a statement ; for could it lie for a moment en-
tertained, that any man in his senses would pay a
sum of 4,0001. for the purchase of an office the
emoluments of whieh amounted to so small a sum
as 200/. a year? This lie considered utterly im-
possible. The gross amount of the emoluments of
this office were estimated at a stint of 4.501. a year ;
but out of that suns there were deductions made—
first, a sum of 150/. a year, reserved to the Dean
and Chapter of Westminster; stool, secondly, a sum
of lOW. a year paid by the High Bailiff to a Deputy,
fo.. performing those duties which he ought to per-
form himself. The High Bailiff had no right to
pay this sum to the Dean and Chapter; and as to
the salary of a Deputy, if lie thought fit to employ
a Deputy, he ought to pay him. It was a princi-
ple that a benefit and ', burden should go together :
here the High receives the benefit, but he
would wish to get rid or the burden; and if, by
the arrangements made beta een the High Bailiff
and the Dean mid Chapter, the etuolowerits or the
office is decreased, the House had nothing to do
with that. The High Bailiff stands, he said, like
person making a bargain ; he might have made
an imprudent one ; but surely he had Ito right to
come before the House to seek for indemnity and
remuneration. Ile did not see on what ground he
stood—he did not see how it was possible to sepa-
rate his case from that of any other individual in
the community who might think fit to come be-
fore Parliiiiiietit, complaining ef ati imprudent
agreement. If the High had any reason
to Call for redress, to what lie mu right to
call ? Certainly on the Dean and Chapter of
‘Vestroinster. They have sold the office—they
have made it a source of profit, though it was in-
tended, not as a place of profit, hut an office
of trust. It was an office of high legal character;
it had all the powers and the duties attached to
it as the office of Sheriff of a county. Like the
Sheriff of a county, the High Bailiff of %Vest 11l i l o-
sier had to execute the King's writs, and to return
members to serve in Parliament. The Dean and
Chapter, however, consulted hut one point —and
that was to make money of the office. They were
not anxious to select a person capable of perform-
ing its duties; and though at does happen that the
gentleman who now fills that office is most efficient,
no one indeed could discharge its duties with more
general satisfaction, yet that was the mere effict of
chalice. As far as the Dean and Chaptec were

cohcerrird, they had but one object, that of insk;n,,z
money by the appointment; with them the sale of
the office was a mere money bargain. He could
not therefnre sanction the principle contended for
it was aln too much to throw on other men's
shoulders the burden of those duties, which were
ii)sepersibly attached to the, office. The Report
of the Committee suggested another mode, sod
one which he considered snore objectionable ne4i,
any other. That mode was to defray the
rlee-
n.nr expenses first of she Poor Rates. Ile em,.
Slflrrell this a 1e.% oind• than any ii,at
ha proposed. He r null whit eottol.ter thin
the expenses of the election aimstiii lee rani-mot ,a
the great emoluments derived by tfte Dean end
Chapter: they receive the benefit—they should These
the burden ; but with this the House tad nothing
to do. It had been raid, that the present woo
very gond measure, because it might prevent ;le it
from offering themselves as candidates for Wt,t.
minster, who were not prepared to pay the ex-
penses. He would not take up the time of the
House, to Phew the utter impropriety of this
principle—it was one which could nut be toliviated
for .1 11101,1efli --ir was so radically bad, that it
would be risele“, to expose it. Respecting, the
charges that had been made, believed they
were considered very enormous.. Large sues
were 'wen to are been expended in :l.e
erection of 10,.,:1i5, :owl to have beet. paid to
the Returning Officer. In one instance rr•oket-
ing himself, lie felt it Ids duty to roost the ciarges
I ght ngitinst him, but the late Lord Elleioo.
rough decided -..14 deCiSioll which certainly appeared
to Min extruordinary, that the candidate was Mild.:
to pay the expenses of his rleeliott. Hr was theto-he-,,
obliged to pay them, hut the charges
were reduced to the legal expenses, and thin' tie
charge was very inconsiderable indeed. Herr thee
the High Bailiff. as the law has been decided, is
entitled to the charges, told he saw no necessity for
any iiifringentent. If the office of High Bailiff is
to he set top for sale, and a very high price is to be
paid for it, he saw no reason whs., in reason and in
justice, the burdens inseparable from the office
should not he borne by those who sell or those who
hold it. Instead then of pressing a measure to
which many objections lay, he would propose to
postpone it tow time that wool.' of on oppor-
tunity to those who were anxious to petition egeilist
it (and he knew a number of Petitions woidd he
presented if time were afforded), and also for the
;impose of hitting Clot information laid before the.
House, which the Report said it was necessary to
receive. For his own part, he would be happy if
any means were devised to indemrly the present
High Bailiff for ally extraordinary and uttforeseeiu
charges he might have incurred. If he should he
able to make out slily case of unexpected loss, I.e,
for his part, would have no el jeciinn to agree to
any plait for his relief, butt he never wasild consent
to the adoption of a principle a Mcli would go not
merely to relieve the individual, but to establish le
precedent vicious in its principle, and dangerous
in its results. The Hon. Baronet concluded by
moving, that the third reading of the Bill be post-
poned to this dry fortnight.
Sir ROBERT WiLsos said, he considered the
measure one which should not he entertained. The
law, lie said, required that every Member of Part',
mein should be possessed or 3001. •I year; but roe
enormous charges of the High Bailiff' of 11'esimiii-
ster might oblige an indepeudent man, of saimll
fortune, to mortgage, for a space of three years mod
a half, the property which would entitle him to sit
in that !louse. It was nal true, he said, that County
Members were obliged to pay the election expenses
—it was altogether optional with them. If County
Candidateado not think fit to hi VP three days notice
of their intention to staial the election, they were
not legally bound to pay the expenses. He would
not trouble the House with any further observatiolis,
but merely second the motion.
Mr. LAWSON said, that in a constitutional whit
of view he thought there were serious ohjertioes
against the Bill. He did nut think that the ex-
penses of elections should fall upon any of the
candidates—not certainly on the unsuccessful tam-
didate, who lost enough by losing his election—Lt'
having all his hopes blasted, and his views di-ap-
pointed ; and certainly the expense shindil tint
fall upon the representative of the people. In
former times, not only were all election charges
paid by the constituent', but the travellnig ex-
penses of the Members up to town—lint to iii.'
shame and degeneracy of the present age, Nod to
the misfortune of the present Nlembers, this
practice has been departed from. The Homier..
able Gentleman suid, that Members of Par-
liament were the servants, nut the master:
the people; they were not bound to pay for ii iii
their duty, nor were they to be liable to gripiti,r
extottiou. The charges of the High B:iil:d eei-
teinly, in his mind, should not be visited on the c
candidate. The Hon. Gentleman c;.; -
chided by :toying, that he had a strong coustim-
tnoisl objection to the Bill, and if the House shoul I
divide, he would feel it Ilia duty to vote With ilia
l ion. Baronet.

Mr. Ift...xx LIT said, his simple object in Is•.;
t-
ins forward the preactst measure was, to plot, t
the High Bailiff of Westminster. Ilia sitseatso.s
was one of peculiar hardship ; his loss at diGrusst
elections slid tad amount to less than 5,000/. I.
had been stated, and he was nStopi.tied to hay-
heard it, that the expenses of the last olection h ssl
ansou rated to a sum of 3,000/. sod a Petstion so° s
lies no the table, from a particular iss.hsolts 0. that
the asiosaiit charged to him !pr./. The fs. t
is, that H sons of was lie whole charges
of the election:, to be divided betsve:ll the 41,1.
ftrent Candidates. It was mint our then that
there was charged a sum of 3;000/. as the exiss..u.e•
of the last election—it was not true that a sous .1f
9001. was charged against the person whose
tion lies upon the table of the House. The only
question to he decided, he conceived, sass, :is,—
was the High Bailiff; vitt of the small emolnmeisto
of Isis office, to be forced to pay she txuseoss
of every election for Westminster? For *even yews
past two elt-ctionslsud been held for that city. For
the last seven bears there WAS MI I:0.11111.MA made
eguilig the law. For the last years there syoss
tin Petition presented from the City of ‘Vesttruis-
ster, or from any elector of IVesinsis.sor, sr.
Feeling st the extreme hardsliqu mil 11, I .s'e
he hoped that that House would support
Mr. HARVEY inside some observatilMS, which
differed little in sulAtaime from these made

Ern., s Burdett. He em:itemierl that the Higb
BAIT, if he laboured under any hardship, had no
right to look for relief from Parliament, but that
lie should look for that relief in a Court a Law.
The gallery was then cleared, and the House
when there appeared for the original
motion--
Ayes 34
Noes to

Majority
Tile Cutlery Trndr Bill was brought up,nd
nAierrd to be printed.

BASK It I.STRICTION.
Mr. 13 lannnEri brought up the Report of the
•la.a nes of the Secret Committee, to confider the
redent Aide of the Bank.
The following named were then read :
Lord Castlereagh Mr Nuke*
The Chancellor of the Ex- I Mr. F. tow a•
chequer Mr. Robert Peel
Mr. Tiei r y I Sir Jnlin Nichol
Mr. el 1111111%! Mr. Lancaster
Mr. W. W. Pole Mr. wawa'.
Mr. Lamb Mr. Swart Wortley
Mr. Rnbioenn Mr. Maiming
Mr. Great, II
Mr. Ashburst
Mr. If oskie,.on Sir John Newport.
Aberriomby
Leave was given to the
what timed and to what
tit.—The House then art

Comuii'tre to adjourn at
iltscra thry should think
intuited.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.