The National Register.
London, England, 1817-03-31 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGIS' EIL

—" I :tin not surprised, said he, for I never was more bitten
with fleas in the whole rouse of my life." The application
%vac tr, just in one ease as in the other.—( G,;-h.l
TM: 3(arquiri of BUCKINGHAM Colltelille•ti that the danger
of the Country had not been at all exageerated in the Report
of the Committee. He defended the Bill, on the gionwl•
that It deprived the people of cone of their constitutional
rights, hot only prevented their doing that which was illegal.
'Elie real enemies of the rights of the people were those who
assembled the people under pretence of petitioning ; but,
has jog so assenilded them. made use of them to forwa d their
own objects, and for the purpose• of sedition. He believed
it could be proved, that the real object of the Spa-lields
meeting was not to petition Parliament, but to throw the
country into confusion. Under these circumstances, be gave
the Bill his foil support.
Lord DARNLEY opposed the Bill as wholly unneerssary.
He considered that the existing laws were fogy aderptve to
meet all the existing evils, though he was ready to allow tl;a:
such meetings as those belt' in Spa•delds, and adjourned from
time to time, ought not to be tolerated.

Lord ABER In:EN Supported the Dill: he had endeavoured
to Rieer!ain what the public opinion of the measure was, and
found it to he in favour of it.

The Duke of St ssvx bole all possible respect fur the Noblc
lewd* opposite, yet his political feelings would not allow uf
kisagreeing to the Kest lit million.

Tilt.. Bill eas tlti•i) read a third time.

Lord SIDMOUTII said, an amendment had yesterday been
proposed, th.tt no meeting should be held within a mi;e of
Westminster Hall. He had since understood that a part of
Covent-garden was within that distance, and also that a part
of the borough of Southwark was within the prescribed dis-
tance. He should tins, iht'OcUre move an a nendment, ea-
minding those places trout the operation of the clause ill ques-
then, and to make this provision perpetual.
After some objections to this clause, the House divided
upon it—Contents, II l—Non-eontents, g3-lUajority,SB..
The clause was therefore adopted.
Several other verbal amendments were made, the Bin wa:
passed, and ordered bark to the Commons, that the onscud-
ment might be considered.—Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY. M A f!CD i.

The Exchequier Bill, and Nasal Stores Bills were read a
third time and passed.
The Exchequer Courts Bill went through a Committee.
Tituitsu%%, MARCH 27.

The Cochineal Bill and Naval Officers Pay Bill were read
a tint tune.

The Exchequer Court Proceedings Bill was read a third
time and ita!,st.d.

FRIDAY, bIIRCH es.

In the Scotch appeal Fraser v. Jl•Aunell, judgment varied,
and cause remitted.

The Naval Officers' Pay Bill and Cochineal Bill was read
a second time.
The Irish Law Execution Bill and the Trish Arms Bill were
brought up front the Couttnonst and read a first titne.—Ad-
jourued.

—•qar-•
HOUSE OF COMMONS.

lIONDA , MARCH 21.

'rlie Metropolis Paving kill was, on the motion of Mr. M.
A. Taylor, ordered to be read a second tinic on Monday
niAt.

The Committee on the Saving Banks Protection Bill was,
on the motion of Mr. Roc°, find for the 22d of April.
Mr. Ca'craft pot (Atli.' motion, on the subject of the Third
Secretary of State, which stood for to-morrow, till the _9th
or April. He also postponed his motion on the Salt Bill till
to-morrow week.

The Land Revenue Bill went through a Committer. The
Report was received, and ordered to be taken into fin ther
consideration on Wednesday nest.
Mr. Brougham gave notice, that he should on an early day
submit a motion to the House, on the subject oldie interrnp-
don which had taken place in our commercial commne:l-
-ti"ns with the Continent, owing to the liberties taken with
English letters on the Continent--liberties wholly confined,
as lie understood, to English letters.—Adjourned.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25.
No business of general interest.
WEDNESDAY, tumult 26.
The business of this day not generally interesting.
TDURSDAY, MARCH 27.
Petitions from Kul% inning Stevenston, Salcoates in Ayr,
and Smith Diteensferry, for deform; from the Solicitors and
Anomie% of PI) mouth and PI) mouth Dock for a repeal of the
Arts of the 4111 r arid 36th of the King; from the Itibband
W easels of Coventry for the protection of the House; and
from 69 or 70 publicans in the parish of Wigan, for a rely al
attic additional duty on Licences, were severally read and
ordered to lie on the table.

A petition from the Coffee-house Keepers in the cities of
London and Westminster, for the protection of the Howe,
as read and rtferred to the Committee ou Police Laws,

A petition front Iti!ston in Statfordshh e, fur relief under the
Poor Laws, was read and referred to the Committee on the
Poor Laws.

A Bill to amend snch part of the Bankrupt Laws as re-
lated to granting the Bankrupt's Certificate; and a Bill to
empower ecclesiastical aml other pythons to grant Leases or
Tithes, were read It first time.

. ,
The Land Revenue Bill, the Irish Arms Registry Bill, the
Irish Peace Prescnatihn Bill, end the Navy Officers Pay
Bill, were severally read a third time and passed.

.1,1111)AV, MAI:C*II2h.

The business of the grM;t'estinteiet,t Which this day oceu-
pied the attocion of the House' was that which related to the
amendments proposed by the Lords in the
SEDITIOUS ASSEMBLY BILL.

The Somerron-CEs ER AI, MOVed the order Of the day fur
the consideration of the Lords' amendments to the Seditious
Assembly Bill,
Lord FOLKESTONE inquired whether this bill, containing
pecuniary penalties, was lint so far a money bill, as to e-
elude the Commons fium allowing any alterutiou in it by the
Lord,.

'l•he SPEAKER gave it as his opinion, that, in the serve
the House, this was not a money bill of that dcsciiption. An
alteration, however, had heen made in one dim e, which con-
tained a pecuniary penalty, on which, alien called on, lie
should give his opinion.
'lke clerk having then read the first amentlitivnt,
The SPEAKER felt it his duty to say, that, hy the first elsoke
of the bill, as it passed that house, any person neglecting to
give certain notices to a
,justice of peace was to hiene a p,
natty of 501. By the Lords' amendment this penalty
tended not only to those alto omitted w give notice to a nsi

MARCH 51

rice of the peter, tint also to the mayor or head officer of the
county, city, town, or place respectively. According to his
sense of the matter, this was such AO amendment, in a peen.
Mary enactincer, as the lemma could Sal, consistent with its
privileges, ewer to.
The Clicker Lens of the EXCTIRQUER then moved, that
the Home should disagree to this amendment. The 'notics
was put, and carried.
The clerk having read several amendments,
Mr. BROLGO en did not welt to tiger any unnecessary inn.
pediment; but he hoped that as the amendments were reed
his Majesty's !Ministers would explain to the house when the
alteration was substantial, and not merely verbal.
Mr. 13. BAlnunsT admitted, that his elejesty's Ministers
were certainly bound to give explanations of this nature, and
he had himself intended to do so. He had looked over the
amendments carefully ; and, with the exception of the Asst,
which the house bad alreadyeejected, they were alter:nines
which tended only to resider the cepressioes in the bill inure
effectual and precise.
Mr. BROUGRAM observed, that the bill was very incorrect,
as it stood, when sent up to the Lords ; their Lordships.
amendments bad rendered it more so; and farther 'literates's%
would only add tionseese to nonsense. led not this show the
necessity of inquiring into the bill altocether' and of not al-
lowing it to go forth wholly Unintelligible. At present the
blenders and inaccuracies were shameful; and if so many
bud already beets discovetsel, how could it be said that inaay
others might not exist ? He contenili it, that for the sake of
their own consistency, and for the dignity of their proceed-
ings, hail any respect to themselves, to the other house,
and to the people, they would, before further discsission,
print the whole in one centintions form, so that they might
sec whether the clauses proposed were sense or nut. With
this vice he should move, that the farther eonsidcratiuu of
the bill shall be adjourned to Monday next.
A division took place on the anicedment —Noes 77—Ayes
31—elajority tit.
Some other amendments were agreed to.
A conversation took Once on several verbal amendments,
in whieh Mr. It. Ilatherst,Mr. Brougham, and the Chancellor
of the Exchequer took part. The ameudineuts were agreed
to.
Elton the clause prohibiting all meetings in Palace-yard
during the sitting of Parliament, or of the counts of justice,
Mr. CURVIER rose to object to its adoption. Ile professed
that he was compelled, though with regret, to give his must
strenuous opposition to this clause. This chose, prohibiting
the people of Westminster from meeting in their usual place
to petition, was proposed by the other House of Perlimeent,
and ought to be viewed with jealotev. You, Sir, said the
Hon. lieut. (addressing himself to the Speaker) have re,
peatedly, and nu a Isle occasion, maintained the privileges of
this house against any intended or suspected encroachment
on the part of the Lords. On the present occasion, the house
ought again to assert its rights, and the rights of the verges.
The stnelleA attempts to infringe oil the right of ;minima::
slimed be met web the most decided opposition by the House
of Cuminons, as aimed against itself. 'I he present clause
appeated to hint to be 811 Unjust end uncalled .ter invasion of
a right hitherto remised by the inhabitants of Westminster ;
and, with this view, lie should tee tainly take the sense of the
11 use upon it.
The Hun. Mr. WARD could not agree in the seeming im-
portance attached to this amendment from the other house ;
the object of which was, simply to remedy an inconvenience ;
and the eflcct of which, at the inmost, would only be to pre.
emit the delivery of a few useless and probably eery eel/
speeches. But it was evident that the opera eon of thi• cheers
would peeesee no snob effect, tier abridge a single expeii-
meet upon the patience of that house in enduring insult.
Tee debate was continued to a great length, but without
any additional light being thrown upon the subject, and the
cries of qnestion being very tome strangers wet e ordered to
ithilraw. During our absence, the house divided on the
preposition of Mr. Lv tiletou, that the daration of the clause
should be limited to July, 11:318 :—Ayes 34—Noes 113..

- -
second dis•i•ion then took place upon the clause itself—
For it 113—Against it 30.
A conference was then appointed with the Lords to.mor.
row, to procure their usscut to the alteration wade to the.
umendmertA.

Mr. PoN•otinv then said, it would be convenient for gen-
tlemen to know when the Chancellor of the Exchequer would
move the adjournment.
Mr. 11. BATIII,n% r (in the absence of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) said. that the house would meet on Monday.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
house adjourned.