The National Register.
London, England, 1821-05-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

The othei order,. of the day having been disposed of,
the licUbeatijonrued.

FRIDAY, MAY 23.

The Freeholders' Voters bill was read a first time.—
Ordered to be read a second time on Monday week.
A bill to enable justices of the peace to act out of their
own county, was brought in and lead a first time. Ordered
to he read a second lime on Monday.
Mr. LITTLETON obtained leave to withdraw the
Church Briefs bill for the present session.
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented the report of the
London Bridge committee.
Sir W. iuwris availed himself of the earliest oppor-
tunity to enter his protest egaitist this report. It recom-
mended the building a new bridge, an expense of 70d,0001.
and that he considered such expenditure would be most
extravagant.
Mr. Alderman WOOD defended the report. After
a hat had just passed, lie should expect to find the bun.
hart. the sturdy advocate of economy on all future occa-
sions, and that would present trine in a new point of view.
—The committee had consisted of 49 members, and be
believed the hon. bort. stood atone when lie placed him-
self In opposition to the report. It said nothing of an
expense of 700,(()01.; the report stated, that a new bridge
would lie better than the old one; and if a new bridge
were butt, although the public would be benefited by it,
none of its money would be wanted far the purpose.
Report ordered to be printed. •
ORPHANS' FLIND.—Sir W. CURTIS asked whether an
hon. member intended to propose any committee respect-
ing the orphans' fund this session.
Mr. H. SUM N ER replied, that he had no such intention,
owing to the lateness of the session; but lie did not know
why the hon. bait. shou'd so particularly identify himself
with the question; it was the court of aldermen that was
interested in it, and the lion. baronet had acknowledged
himself the servaat of the court.

Mr. Alderman WOOD rose, but
The SPEAKER reminded him that there was no fines-
tion before the house.—The conversation accordingly
dropped
lite house at its rising was ordered to adjourn to Mon-
day next.
A petition was presented from Birmingham against the
poor laws amendment bill.
The Irish stamps bill went (brought a committee.—Re-
port on Monday.
The second reading of the audit of public accounts bill
was ordered for IVerloesday.
Mr. W. COURTENAV brought in a bill to regnlate the
sale of trust estates.—Read a first time, and ordered to
be read a second time on Monday.
Mi. G. BENNETT presented a petition from a gentle-
man named Trimmer, in Wilishite, complaining that a
slate guar ry had been rented by the crown to Mr. Ten-
nant, the petitioner having previously bid for it.
Mr. Alderman WOOD observed, such was the present
slate of oils finances, Mat this matter ought to be sti icily
inquired into, wish the view of protecting the public
interest.--Petition ordered to be printed.
A message trout Lite lords announced that their lordships
had agreed to the Lan Brink Drainage bill, and the
Otampound Disfranchisement bill, with amendments.
Lord Al (ETON called the attention of the house to the
Grampound Disfranchisement hill. with amendments,
whit it hail conic from the lords, nestling the concurrence
of the house; and he moved that the amendments be now
cad.

Load J. RUSSELL thought it would be better at once
to name that the awenduu•uls of the lords be taken into
consideration on 11 ettnesday next. lie added, that he
was 1)1E4411A to move that the house agree to those
amendments. (Hear.)
WYNN oltscreed,that it would be adviceable
at the same time to propose some regulation for the con•
ducting of the elections of the two additional members
fob Yoiß•hine.

Leitit LONDONDERRY hoped the lion, member would
pause b. lore he pet ses ered w the proposing of such regu-
lations as part of the present measure, for he feared that
the agitation of them might occupy so much time as to
endanger the loss of the bill. (Hear.) Inadequate as
was the hill, he was epprelti usive that, by such course of
proceeding, the measure weill.l be lost.
Amendments ot dered to be taken into consideration on
Wednesday next.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from Mr. Thorpe, late
a judge at Sierra Leone, complaining of Lis iiianrissiom, in
consequence of being the medium of precerrine, char gee
against Governor Maxwell. The petitioner had sustained
great losse► in consequence of having abandoned his pro-
fession to serve the govei Immo, end of being relitsed
inquiry and redress.
Ole. WARRE observed, that there was no foundation
fur the charges against Governor Maxwell.
Mr. CiOULLIU RN said he should slut avail himself of
circumstances within his knowledge to aggravate the
situation of the petitioner.
Mr. HUME regretted that the Colonial Secretary
should not have eidesed into seine explanation. The
petitioner was unaware of the cause of his dismissal, after
haring been engaged in the government for 14 years et
least the petitioner ,rated as much.
Mr. HUTCHINSON expressed himself In similar tern's;
the petitioner was anxious to 11111111V0 the stigma from his
character.—Petition lead, and ordered to be pi inted.
CRIMINAL LAN's.—Sir• J. MACINTOSH presented the
repot of the forgery punishment bill. Hu then utiset ved,
teat'L•itt members had expressed their opinion of the pu-
itisliment death fur forgery; and amongst them sere''
smile of the most distinguished and enlightened merchants.
He now rose to spew his reference to the opinions of
otheta, by the amendments which he was about to pro-
po►e. He hall already made considerable sacrifice. yr
his own opinions, in older not to stiffer them to stand in
the way of those ameliorations of the criminal law which
lie was desirous of accomplishing. The amendments
which lie should propose were respecting the forgery of
wills, mairiage registers, and transfets of stuck, and to
exempt them front the operation of the bill.
The first autendatieut on the report having been pro-
posed,
Mr. CRIPPS thought the forgery of country notes
ought to be exempted from the operation of the bill. Hank
when forged, were trumped ; but it' country notes
west lunged, the ci edit and stability of the country uric
at stake.

'ill J. MACINTOSH could not acquiewe in the sup
grhiloos of the hon. meuiber.
Ali. GitENVELL ugetiAl nith what kat fallen from

Mr. Crippa. He did not sec why bank note forgeries
should be exempted.
Mi. J. MARTIN said he should support the bill, if the
punielinient were made transportation for life.
Mr. BEN N E'rf observed, that transportation iti many
instances operated as a bounty on crime; it was, in fact,
generally considered as no punishment at all.
Mr. BARING remarked, that if there were no severer
punishment to be proposed than that of transportation, lie
should oppose the bill ; lie agreed on what had been
stated, that it was, in fact, no punishment at all.
Mr. J. SMITH stated, that the punishment ought to lie
strictly defined and iigorously adhered to ; no judge could
desire to have discretionary power lodged in his hands.
After some remarks from Mr. Lockhart, the proposition
for omitting the word " wills" was agreed tn.
Sir J . M Aceywell then propused the exception of
marriage registers.
Amendment agreed to, as was the nest for omitting the
violas respecting forgeries of transfer of stock.
Sir J. MACINTOSH then proposed words to follow
imprisonment, "for a relied of not less than three years,
and not exceeding fourteen yeers."
Mr. BARING should not desire the bill to pass, if
"three years" wets retained, be was for naming the
larger period positively, " fourteen years' hard labour."
To have the lets period would be to diunWsli the terror of
the offence.
Dr.LUSHINGTON thought the punishment of forgery
ought to be most severe, and it ought to be positive—not
less than ten Yeats' imprisonment and hard labour. He
would propose such amendment, which was agreed to.
Sir J. MACINTOSH, at the .equest of a learned lord,
proposed that Scotland be exempted from the operation
of tills bill.
Mr. CRI PPS could not consent to let this bill go forth
to the country without the words," to exempt promissory
notes, &c. floe) the bill."
The SPEAKER said, the bill had been gone through—
the house could not go back ; the proposed aniroduient
bight be urged in a future stage of the bill.
Mr. MABERLY observed, thaf if the amendment was
not introduced, the man would be a mailman who should
forge bank notes with the probability of being hanged,
when lie might forge country notes without the possibility
of being executed. It would operate as a premium on
the forgery of country notes.
Several members desired the amendment to be put, bat
the Speaker said it could be regularly proposed on the
third reading.
Additional clanse agreed to, and bill ordered to be re-
committed, to 'fiord opportunity for the proposing of Mr.
Cripps anwnihnent.
AllOgY ESTI M ATES.—The house afterwards went into a
committee of supply, to which committee the remaining
army estimates were referred.
Lind PALMERSTON brought them forward. Ile
proposed that there be granted 1,10.1,0001. for the army
extraordinaiies.
Mr. HUME proposed to reduce the vote by 36,0001.
Upon this amendment a long conversation followed, and
the lion. member consented to withdraw his amendment,
to make way for one of
Mr. BENN El 'Vs, elm proposed to reduce the aunt of
1,000,0001. to nir4:ool.
Upon this amendment the committee divided, when the
numbers were—For the amendment, 3't—.Against it, 84.
The next resolution proposed was the RUM of 401,5651.
for the Commissar rat.
Mr. MABEttLY expressed that this department should
undergo revision.
Mr. HUME said that from 1816 to 1820 the expences of
that department brit been al a,OOOl. and the yearly charges
of the establishment amounted to 52,7711. For ISIS the
whole expellees of the commissariat in Great Britain had
been 301,0001. Tina year it was 401,0001. The addition
of the storekeeper's expenses would, perhaps, account
for the difference. But after allowing for that, there
would not be one .shilling of reduction of the expellees of
ISIS. The whole number of eommiasatiee in 1813, a
time of war we: 300. By the returns cn the table, it ap-
peared that there were still 230, when the number of ;nee
to be atipplied was reduced to one third. Mr. !terries
had 1,2i'01. a year. This was a most extravagant pension
for the few years lie had been commissary general, after
having previcesly been private secretary to Mr. Percival.
Another pension to which he objected as, 1,1001. to Mr.
Trotter, who had been cummirsary general in 1808, and
raised the expetices of the establishment in a few years
to 4,0001. a year more than lie had found them.
Mr. ARBUTIINoT said, that lie could assure the com-
mittee that it was impossible to re:elect the business of
the department with a smaller timelier of commissaries.
'1 lie. number had been reduced too low in Isle; but tho
protests from various stations made it necessary to
iu-
crease it again to what it was at pi eseni.
Mr. It. WARD justified the expences of the store-
keepers depaitment. The annual charge was 45,0001.
and far Alus a sum of's,ooo,oettl. was administered.
Mi. H. q. BEN NET protested against the pension to
Mr. II en lea. Active commis:Jai ier..general who bad been
engaged by night and by day in the severe exertious of
war had retired with 4004. 50A. or 6001. a year. Mr•
Berries, whose services had been rendered ill a warm
well-carpeted room, with his pen in his baud and his ink.
stand betore Trim, received I,nool. it year.
Colonel DAVIES said, that he should content himself
wills moving a reduction of 0,2351, limn the grain then
before the house.
Cutout! DAVIES said lie would withdraw his amend.
meld, and substitute in its stead another, calling on the
house to reduce the grant by only 1,2381.
Mr. N. CALVERT observed, that, without entering
into the propriety or impropriety ot this amuudweut, he
was iueliue d to auppoi t any general redaction of so much
per cent, ou the catenates, add to leave the disposal of the
sum to the responsibility of government.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the com-
mittee divided, when there appeared for the amendineut,
40—against it, 59—Majority :tisiest it, 49.
On our retitle to the gallery we found Mr. P Moore,
moving that the chairman do report progress, and ask
leave to sit again, ou the ground that the Yule Weil before
it involved constitotiouftl questions too important to be
discussed at that late hour of the cackling, The question
was agreed to after a short eueversation in which Colonel
Daviesk Mt. Rennet. and Mr. Arbuthuot took a share.
Mr. ARISUIHNOT, ill Um abidance of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, gave notice, that that right liouuerable
gentleman would bring forward his budget on Friday
next. The other order. of the day U1..f4 dtepuseti of and
tLc butaio adjutnued at out o'clock.