The National Register.
London, England, 1817-02-10 00:00:00

Tt;iADAY, FCBAOARYS.

Mr. Si!rjeorst Best progritteil a Petition from G. Farquhar.
son,romnlaining of Nou•a+sessment of Mr. Howland Hill's
Cii,yel fur Perish Rat's.
...„. . . _

of the City of London pre4ented the Petition
of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Conocil of the
City, praying fur imentary Reform, an abolition of tin-
nim ited Places and Pensions, and for Retrenchment in every
Branch of the State. Ordered to lk on the table.

Lord Cocnit,ist,: preunted a Petition from Hamilton,
fur Helimn and Retrenchment. Ordered to lie on the

A similar Petition was presented from Bandon' in the
county of Cork ; and also prayed a repeal of the Window
Tax.
new writ was ordered for tie. electim of a MeanSer fur
Homing..
A Petition was presented from the enmity of Nottingham,
praying an amendment of the Poor Laws.
r. LUSIIINGTON brought up the report of the Committee
of Supply, and the resolution Sr.,, agreed to.
Mr. W. SmITII presented a Petition from Norwich fur Par-
diatneutai-y Reform.
Mr. W. W V NNE regretted being obliged to oppose the
bringing np this Petition, as lie had always heard it laid
down as a rale by the ahlesr and must constitutional melt,
that no Petition condi be received unless the Member pre-
sentin.; it pledged his 0?iiii011 that tlitre was nothing in it
offensive to the House; he must therefore oppose its being
bronight up.
The soy stint: said the Home hod a right to expect from
every Me:ll4er that lie is satisfied the Petition he presents
contains nothing offensive to the House.
Mr. W. SMITH was as mock disposed to defer to the
-SpeaLer's opinion as any one. He never disputed that tile
House conlil ask any Member whether or not he had read the
Petition which he was about to present. But he thought it
was the duty of every Member to defend, to the best of his
power, the right of 'his constituents to Petition. He said
this as a protest in favour of his constituents; and haviiig
done so, lie was in the hands of the Hume, and would be
!mond by its ileeision. He then moved that the Petition
should he brought
The Petition was then rejected without a division.
THE REGENT'S MESSAGE.

Lord CASTLEREAGH moved an Address to the effect of in-
forming, his Royal Highness, that the House would proceed
immediately to enquire ibto the information laid before them
by command of his Royal Highness.—Agreed to.
Mr. PoNsoisnx did not wish to prolong this discussion;
but he was desirous of knowing whether the Noble Lord in-
ten Jed to propose that the enquiry should be gone into im-
mediately.
Lord C ISTLEREAGR said, he was about to move to rrfer
the papers on this subject to a Secret Committee. He then
moved that the papers be referred to a Committee of Se-
crecy, to consist of 21 Members, to be chosen by ballot, each
Member potting tomorrow a sealed list of 21 persons to form
the Committee, into a glass.—Agreed to.
"HINT'S PE I ITION.

Lord COCHRANE said he had a Petition to present from a
gentleman named Hunt, in which he complained of a con-
spiracy having been formed azainst his character. It also
stated, that at various times lie had dune services of &Inger
in defence of his country; but th it hill-stickers, protected
by police officers, had been employed in posting libellous
bills, asserting that he had neon hissed out of Bristol; and
that in the police offices w✓re si.nilar bills, so that any per-
son found polling them down might be punished by the Init,
being so much eager to be identified. He (Lord C.) wouid
not undertake to answer for the truth of these allegation,:
but the Petitioner only prayed that lie might be allowed to
Prove the truth of them at the Bar. He theu moved that the
Petition be brought up and read ; and he k Lard C.) thought
Walentitled to that, as tile Petition was quite iespectful.
—Laid on the table.
Sir F. BURDETT presented a Petion from Leicester, pray-
ing for Reform; 111.1 one from Leigh, in Lancashite, on the
same s.t.tijeet. —Ordered to be 141t1 0.1 the table.
Mr. BROILI;KAM sail, he had a Petition to present from

respectabli- individuals in Lancashire. It appeals, that a
Petition, the illtlSt gnarded and temperate, praying for Re-
form, Irtd b..en signed by about 00 inhabitants of Warring-
ton. T., this, one would have tliong4i, no objection would
have been offered; but it Wil4 seized by Richard
Barrows in the street, while being t•iirricd round for signature :

it was by hun sent to the home of a Slr. Lyon, a Niagistrate,
where they applied for it, hat it was refused to he delivered
up to them again. 'they then drew up the present Petition,
c.oitplaioing of this obstruction.—The Petition wus recuived,
--.t.!j,turued.

WETIVESDAI', FET1111; 4R j.
LORI) EXMOUTH.

The SFEAKE P. infot ntctit be lied rreeieed a
irtt r from Lord Exmouth, acknowieLleing the receipt of the
thanks of the house, which the Sptaker accordingly read.

commirrEE OF SF:CRECY.
I.Ora CASTLER ERG,' moved the order of the day for
proceeding to ballot for the committee of secrecy, which was
it7reed to, and the ballot ordered to proceed.
The SPEI 5 ER then dt sired the clerk to read over the names
of the members of the house in the order of their comities,
and desired such ineuthert as had prepared lists of statues fur
the committee to deliver them at the table.
Mr. 115011:GUAM observed, that Shore was clearly a consi-
derable loss of time in the pretest nitele of proceeding in the
election of a Committee of Secrecy. About an hour had been
occupied In receivim: the lists io the urn on the table, and
tiler this they must appoint scrutineers, wife) must retire anti
east up the numbers' anti thea decide who ate precisely the
21 members cleded for the committee. lie believed he
might almost venture to predict the names of all the members
folio wunid be eh ',ten : so that the business might have
been got through without the necessity of any committee of
scrutiny, or of goinz through any sort of arithmetical opera-
s:pa. lie read to toe house a list, whirl) he held in his hand

AL REGISTER.

f the mentheri likely to be elected. 'flac scrutineers then
withdrew.
POOR LAWS. _
_ _

Lord Monett:tor presentetin petition from owners and oe-
cepiersof estates in the parish of Alsteal, in the county of
Cumberland. respecting the state of the poor laws.
Lord CASTI.ER FA 611, ti.tvertilit to anontission in the vote of
thanks to bard Exmouth, and the (bil(cers mid men tinder his
command, in the conquest of Alters, of the royal artillery
and engineer( employed in the service, moved, ;' That they
.41)0111t1 he added to the list of those to whom the thanks of
the house were voted." They, togetherwith the sappers and
miners, were accordingly added.
Mr. CuItWEN moved for the proceedings in the Court of
Exchequer iii the first cause, in which a moth's was settled
without reference to a jnry ;as likewise an atcount of all the
tithe canses pending in the Courts of Exchequer and Chun.
cart.—A et eed to.
Lord CoCIIRANE presented the petition of the distressed
inhabitants of the metropolis anti the vicinity, praying for
reform, aereci to at Spafields on the td of December last.
It wits signed, ht said, lay 21,400 names. He was instructed
to say, in answer to falsehoods and misstatements that had
gone abroad, that the meeting which had voted this petition
hail not been in the least arcessory to the riots and disturb
ances which alarmed the metropolis on the day on which it
was vetted. disturbances originated in Cie violence of
certain persons called the Speureans, who had adopted the
wild theory, that the land of the country did not belong to
the present proprietors, but to the Government, who were
uomid to make a fair distribution of its produce among the
people. Nothing could be more frantic and absurd ihan
sorts a scheme; for what would ministers, who had already
male such rapid strides in ruining the country, with the
means put into their hands, not execute if they could grasp
all the landed property of the nation. cht.ar, and a laugh).
Mr. Gut Earle,. wished to stibmit to the house an eeseeya.
.lion or two in consesmence of this and other petitions 'although
be was sensible of how little weight his opinions were. He
would not touch the treat qaestion of Parliamentary reform;
feeling as he did, the blessieas we enjoyed as a nation
venerating the constitution of his country from the deepest
conviction of the benefits it emit...114.d, and the excellence or
the institutions it protected ; believine that it secured to
who had the happiness to live muter it a greater degree of
practical liberty And individual enjoyments than ever fell to
the lot of any other nation in any other age, he could not free
his mind front sonic alarm at the disorganizing doctrines that
were now so industriously propagated—doctrines which had
formerly beet' propagated in this cgentryi, which had been
abandoned from a sense of the evils with which they were
preguate, and which he never expected to see again preva-
lent; doctrines which being wildly followed in a neighbour-
ing comittry, had produced resnits not only disgraceful to
human nature, from their ati unity and cruelty, but itestruc•
tive ofliherty itself. Actin:: guider the impression of danger
Elms the wild schemes admit', but not relating ie his vigi-
lance ht watching the expenditure, and reeminnendine every
practical reduction that might allay popular irritation, or
alleviate national distress, lie Was prepared to concur iu any
measures that mien have for their object to resist the machi-
nations of those men, some of them deluded, but others wicked
and dangerous, who, tinder the name of reform, were endea-
vowing to effect revolniion. and to involve the country in
anarchy and confusion. ( ;ear, hear.)
Tile petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
Lord COCHRANF: presented petitions from the borough of
I.ee, in Lancashire, and from Horsetortn, in Yorkshire, pray
ins; for refit-in.
Lord J. Itesseet. presented a petition from the borongh of
Tavistock, complaining of wasteful expenditure and praying
for reform. It did not pray for annual Parliainents and uni-
versal suffrage, but left the specific kiad of reform necessary
to be determined oil by the house.
Mr. Reeve% presented a petition from the city of Norwich,
praying for reform.
SECRET COMMITTF.E.
Mr. BROGOEN appeared at the bar of the bruise with the
report of the committee appointed to scrutinize the lists
given in fur composing the committee of secrecy. The re-
port was read, mud the names of the committee were as
follows:—
Lord Milton Solicitor General
Right Hon. G. Ponsonby Attorney General
Mr. Egerton Right Hon. G. Canning
Right (lon. W. Elliot Right Hon. C. Yorke
Lord Castlereagh Mr. Bootle Wilbraham
Loud Laseelles Mr. Wilberforce
Right Hon. It. Bathurst Right Hon. W. Hondas
Hun. W. Lamb Right Hon. G. Rose
Sir A. Pi.mtt Sir W. Curtis
Hon. Mr. Robinson Admiral Frank
Right Hon. Sir J. Nicholl
There was a laugh at the corcluelms of this list, it being
the same as that anticipated by Mr. Brougham.
The was approved of; and the committee received the
necessary iustruction.
Die. HASINIF.RsLVY moved for the production of accounts of
all monies date to this comely front ['sane(' oil account of
prisoners of war, and all SUMS paid MI this account during
the last ten years. Seeing the Chancellor of the Exchequer
in his place, the Hon. Gentleman asked him, it' Government
was a party to the French Wait at protein negotiating in this
country?
The CHANCCI.I.OR of the ENCHFOtOttt had no objection to
the production of the ace-omits moved for, though it might
cost some trouble to make them up. In answer to the quea.
tion aho:ut the Ereiteli luau, he repli...l,Governmeut 5553 reaper-
ty to it ; and in a eourt.rsation between him, Mr. Tit riity,anil
%Ir. Ponsimiliv, which ensued, he declare(' that Government
had neither gnat:unveil, encouraged, or countenanced it in
any Manlier ulwever, but that he conccised no law ex-
isted against u foreign friemlly Power negotiating a loan in
this country.
A new writ was ordered for the borough of Yarmouth.
SAVINGS BANKS.

Mr. Rost moved for leave to hying in a bill for regulating
the provident institution of savin:ll; batiks.
Mr. Cenw EN could not but express his fears, that the plan
which the Hight HMI. Gentleman had propo,,d, how lauda-
ble hoe set his inteNtions might he, and he by no means meant
to qnestion them, was totally inadeqoute to relieve the wants
and distresses which the great body of the• labouring classes
now suirered. It was, in fact, to hold Mit a delusion to the
country, 'illicit, in these times ofl unparalleled misery, re-
quired the most substantial relief. No solid advantage
hatever could be es pee ted from such partial ientedies.
Great satisfaction had been expressed. and many consolations
appeared to have been derived from the subscriptions which
had been set on foot fur the relief of the poor; but had these
übscription.sreally filieved thew? No,they had si::t relic -

4,;

eel them ; for although they might amount to about 200,0011
in one way or other, in Great Britain and Ireland, they had
not colitributed to make the poor either happy, contented, or
industrious. Nothing, lie was persuaded, could tend to any
real benefit, but such a measure of compulsion as would
make the poor man tel that his own happiness and comfort
depended on himself. From the very first moment of their
intrudnetion, the poor laws had gradually increased from
year to year, and the poor rides for the curreut year would
amount to ti, or perhaps he should be neater the mark in
saying 20 millions. Tlis was a question of the utmost im-
portance to the country, and which most be speedily brought
befose the house.
Mr. ROSE, in reply to what had fallen from the Hon. Gen-
tleman, respecting the idea of imposing on the conntry, felt
great anxiety that it shinild not go forth to the pu She, that the
poor rates would be considerably diminished by the measure
lie now proposed. Ile merely deemed it to he understood,
that, as far as it went. it would tend to afford very great re-
lief Without this bill, it was impossible that those unfit n-
tions could prosper t but he was fully convinced, whatever
some gentlemen might think, that very essential advantages
would result front enemiraging the poor to save sonic part of
their earnings. He could speak from experience on this sub-
ject, and from bets which had come under his own immediate
eye. He had a number of people about him who contributed
a shilling a week to one of these• savin :3 banks, and tikes cun-
t 'bitted that small portion of their wages cheerfully. if gen-
tlemen, therefore, would only unite, and exert their utmost
endeavours to promote the benevolent ohject of these insti-
tutions, they world render a most essential service to the
country, not only by diminishing the present wants and dis-
tres-es id the labouring poor, hut also by teaching them to
rely in future on themelv Cs for haiipineas and indi pen&

euce.
Mr. Wrtantrotteg said, that his Right lion. Friend pro.
paved to introduce a system which wouid traeli the poor
what they were capable. °liking by their own exertions. He,
therefore, ready felt that this was one of the e1,16510f things
for which he, the Mime, and the country, were extremely in.
iiebted to the Right Hon. Gentleman. The poor laws, no
doubt, were a very heavy borthen in these times, tint it was
rather the administration of thug laws than the laws
themselves which had produced the evil. Leave was given
to bring in the hill.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
On the motion of the (CHANCELLOR of tit,. Esenaougs, the
house went into a Committee of Supply, when the Right Hon.
Gentieinau stated, that he had to propose a vote for a very
large sum, in older to pay off four distinct classes of bills,
amounting in the whole to 28 millions, being 24 millions for
England, and 1 millions for Ireland.
The following sinus were then severally proposed to the
committee, and voted to his Majesty:-
11,000.O+Nt1. for paying off Exchequer loins issurd for the
service of Great Britain in lOW, and now outstuading and
not pro:riled for.
. .

13,000,0001. for like bills, issued in the same year, and re-
unprovided ter.
1,434,41901. Irish currency, for treasury bills issued in Ire-
land, in te RI, now outstanding.
3,050,0016. for like treasury bills in Ireland, now outstand-
ing.
The house then resumed, and the report was ordered to be
received to-morrow.—Adjourned.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6.

Mr. G. LANGTON presented a petition from woollen-mann-
fartnrers in Wiltshire, Sontersetshire, and Gloucestershire.
He felt the greatest anxiety that every thin; should be done
to tranquillize the public wind, partiealarly of the suffering
classes of the community, to afford relief to whom every prac-
ticable mode should he resorted to. He would freely say, in
alluding to the contents of the petition, that the use of machi-
nery was essentially necessa, y to enable lIS to meet our foreign
rivals in inanidaetnres in the markets; but some limitation of
its use might perhaps b.. advisable at particular times, and
under certain particular cirri/Instances.
The petition, which stated some evils arising. limn the use
of machinery, and from the situatiln of the woollen . trade,
and praying for Parliamentary consideration, was ordered to
lie on the table.
LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY.

Mr. BROUGHAM requested to know whether, as R war of so
long u duration had now happily been terminated, any dimi-
nution had been made in tita numucr of the Lords of the Ad-
miralty?
After some panne, Lord C taTLER EACH observed, that he
was not aware of any dimination.
SUPPLY.

Mr. Mien DEN brought up the report of the committee
ofsupply. The resolutions were read and agreed to.

YARIAIMLNTARY REFORM'.

Lord COCHRANE said, he hail a petition to present to the
House on this subject.. Though some word• of this petition
might be objected to hs tuo strong, yet he should move that
it be brought up mad laid on the table, that the house them-
selves might judge of its laiignage, and act as they till/tight
hit. lie wished to take no responsibility whatever upon him-
self. It value from Manchester, and it was signed by 30,060
'flie petition was brought up and read. In the commence-
ment of it, it stated that the house was not, iit any ratio.ial
or constitntional sense, a representation of the people, as it
might to be. It complained of the constitution being sub-
verted, awl of the arts and designs of wicked lalets. Iletlt
some eseeptions, it was•the same as a petition rejected a feat
days back.
Lord Cthll./.11F.A011 remarked on the declaration that the
constitution was subverted, which he 'him 4iit put it to the
judgment of the House whether the petition should be receis vet
or lint.
Mr. ftnounilAM said, that if he had taken up his idea of
this petition aunt what fell from the Noble Lord (Cochrane),
he should have supposed it worthy of rejection; but now he
had heard it read throngliout, lie found that it was not ex-
setly similar to a petition which had been rejected. Here,
then, consisted the great advaiitage of waving petitions read.
The objectionable passage iR a former petition did nut °cent-
in this—he meant that which stated OA the debates in that
House were repeated, protracted, and disgusting. On that
ground he understood that puiition to have beea rejected.
(Hear.) All lie could say of the present petition was, that the
wording of it was not extremely prudent, or very advocate
like.
The CIIANCF.I.T.OII of the EXCIIFQUER observed, that it
was not merely for the particular and improper allusion to
the discussions of Parliament, but on account of almost es cry
part air. From the present one he then read a paragraph,
which stated that the proceedings of the House tended only
to keep up the unrelenting sash of enormous taxation to the
utmost liarit of human endurance.

After a few observations front Ciarwen, Sir F. Burdett,
and Lord C wrlrrtine, the I louse ilisided, and the petition was
rejected by a majority of 50 against 19.
Lord COI Haase said, he had a petition to present from
Macclesfield, which WAS couched in different terms from the
last, and in which he knew ornotlikg, offensive.
This petition was brought up and read. It stated, that the
House did not sufficiently represent the people: and prayed,
pith all becoming respect, that the House would take this
subject into their consideration, as the primary cause of all
the public mitre' ings. It recommended jnittial Parliaments,
and complained of the high price of provisions, of be general
distresses of trade, of the weight of taxation, the falling off
of conimerce, the large standing army, and particularly of the
corn bill of last session. which it characterised as a measure
carried against the opinions of the whole nation. It prayed
the House to expel from it all placemen, pensioners, and
sinrcorists, according to the spirit of the constitution. Or-
dered to lie on the table.
Mr. J. SMITIt presented a petition from Nottingham, pray-
ing fur economy, and a reform of Parliament.
Lard Ft ANCLIFFE observed, that the meeting which (rattled
this petition had assembled without the smallest distm Mince,
and had conducted its proceedings with the utmost propriety.
This had always been the case in every meeting collected at
Nottingham. The distresses which existed in that town and
its neighbourhood were certainly almost unparalleled ; but
he would venture to assert, from his personal experience,
that it bail the very best police of any town is the country.
lie felt it his ditty to state this fact, as many misrepresenta-
tions hail been circulated with respect to the conduct of its
inhabitants.
The petition was then ordered to Ile on the table.
Mr. J. SMITH presented a similar petition from Beaston, in
Nottinghamshire. Ordered to lie on the table.

NEPALI, WAR.
Mr. CANNING was COldidtill, however the operations of
this short but splendid campaien might be comparatively
different from those more important avid glorious victories
which our arms had formerly obtained in the East, howsoever
cattrasted it might be with those more recent and mat:ldeas
exploits which had received the unqualified congratitlations
of P irliament, there was nearcely any occasion in which the
thanks of that Honse could be more justly bestowed. It was
regular. pet haps, in intioducing this svilijcet to the consider.'
Con of the House, that lie should briefly relate the course of
events which had to this war, more particularly as they
might nut be getwrady known. The Ghoorka power, fioni
gradual elieroctimeiits upon neighbouring states, had at
length attained a degree of ortimee which n ndered it ex-
tremity lief : irs tertitortes extended o.er 700 miles,
which we.• conterminous with the British ;ayssessinns in Ind.a.
It was a Coalllry full of warlike n,e n, and had the induce-
ment of coliquest and the expel ii lice of <neves! to invade the
adjoiniug e.aintries. It was, in fact, the only Hindu.. power
that loud t.rw-r towed its neck to a alahometan conqueror.
In 1737, the British Gosersiment first became acquainted
with it. la all the mans of old times, ant indeed of those
withivi these twenty years. it was laid down a. consisting of a
Val lei:: of small .talcs, as I as only of sufficient force to main-
tain itself against eta eneudes. In course of time, however,
its aggressions w. re so imol anti daring, that the Bette.' Go-
ve was compelled to t..ke the most vigorous avid active
ne•as es to restrain it. !lame the war, however, was volu-
me seed, Lord Hastings had rCCOM se to Val lOUs art:1111.11.-
111..!Ith, ...al the lint.an army was allowed to take possession of
the ,bstv iras , tinder a tieaty which the existing
roy..t owe'. • 'waged to ratify. But this promise was not
faithfully otrAerved, and, in consequence, a campaign was
tnifertaken, which ended with sit much glory and success.
The Right Hun. Gent. thought it fit it:infield:Li ty to state,
that although it was the determination of Governineut, if
possible, to detach front the Goorka power its more recent
possessions, no addition whatever to the British territories
was coutemidated, except where there was no means what-
ever of restoring the former government. One third only of
the Ghoi,rka doiniiiions had been ceded, and of this a very
small part had been annexed to the British territory ; the
rest hail been restored to the aucient Rajah, or to their im-
mediate descendants. The Nepatil power was now reduced
Into a state iu which it holds out no temptation to other powers
to look to it at a leader against us. The firmness of the Go-
vernor-General had carried this point to an issue; and he
Mr. C.) 'night venture to pronounce, without meaning to ox•
aggerate the importance of our victory on this occasion, or
to undel value the Fortner success and glory of our arms, that
the head of the Indian Government had laid the foundation
of permanent security to the British possessions in the East.
The Hight Hon. Gent, then concluded by moving a vote of
thanks to the Marquis of Hastings. Governor-General of'
India, &c. &c. for his military operations, by which the war
had been brought to a favourable issue, and permanent foun-
dations of peace established.
Mr. 13nouonast observed, that this motion was merely
confined to military operations; had it embraced any thing
political, he shook certainly have felt it his duty to call the
attention of the House to that part of the subject. He took
it for granted that a vote would follow to the officers and
army ; but he could not refrain from observing, that the
officers in the Com;vany's service were most inifortimately
he would not at that time say more than unfortimattly—ex-
eluded from the order of the Bath, with the trifling excep-
tion of those who succeeded to the command of battalions.
It was certainly much to be regretted, that all the splendid
triumphs of that line areiy, that those unparalleled services of
the Indian officers in the destruction of Tippoo's army under
toy Lord Welkoley, in I?tsU, should thus be rewarded. tic
was fully persuaded, that if Lord Wellesley, or Lord IVel-
lington, had been constilted on th:s matter, they would nut
have passed over and neglected the Indian army; but that
they would have fdt it necessary to have stood, the one by
his faithful servants, the other by his pliant companions ill
arms. ( Hear, lc wr.)
The motion was then carried.

Mr. CANNING then moved the thanks of the House to Sir
David Oe.iteriony.

BANKRUPT LAWS.

Mr. ImeartanT then [WC, according to notice, to move for
the introduction of a bill to amend the bankrupt laws. He
conceived this subject to be one of the highest importance to
the honour, the honesty, and the toot als of the country. The
bill which he proposed o as, in fact, foun.led on the principle
of the Insolvent Art. which prevented fraudulent porsoo:
from tsl.ing, the benefit of that actotnd remauded thentabark
to confinement fur a period of Jive yeapt. This was the
penalty he proposed for the punishment of fraudulent batik
raids, and a Melt had tills additional recommendation, that it
Introduced an uniformity into our law in regard to fraudulent
debtor,': 'lle concluded by moving ter leave to brine in a
bill 0 mate filitter pi us Isiah fur the regression of frautilti.t
bLigetytejs.°Vave grcutcd. -A,ljotirncd.