The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-22 00:00:00

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.

Mr. SCARLET? moved the Order of the Day for
the second reading of the Local Jurisdictions Bill.
He anticipated no objection to the Bill. Its object
was to enable Magistrates of towns or places where
there are no Assizes held, in cases rifcapital offences,
to commit to county gaols, wit before they
were only able to commit such offenders to the dui-
trita gaols, and from thence put theta on their
trials at the Quarter Sessions before their burl cum•
mitntent to the gaol of the county.
A Membe► from the Ministerial side, whose name
we could not learn, rose to express his sense of con-
currence iu the Him. and Learned Gentleman's
measure. He was anxious to rugment, io some de.
gree, the powers to be intrusted to the local Ma-
gistrates, and offered some disuse for that purpose,
the substance of which we could nut gather.
Mr. ScmtLure. in reply, observed, that the pro-
posed clause had, perhaps, better be offered as an
amendment in the Committee. For his own part,
be had confined the objects of his Bill to topics of
necessary alteration, and remedies such es were ge-
nerally acknowledged to be indispensable, in order
u mach as possible to prevent lueo of time by dis-

cession. The Hon. Member, indeed, seemed to
be mistaken about the object of his Bill, .h. 4
was not intended, in any of its provision,. fur the
regulation of county gaols, bat only to enable
Magistrates of towns
,and places where there were
no assizes held, to commit to county gaols, in
cues of capital felony, sod to direct the expenses
of witnesses and prosecutions fur such CliScil to be
levied upon the town or place where oh, offew
might happen to be committed. Ile wos afraid that
the new clause offered by the Honour:4l4;e Member,
would provoke the discussion which it had neeu his
study to avoid.
The Bill was then read a second time. The
House resolved itself into • Committee, througo
which it passed alter some verbal siner4o7.3eiiis.
Sir J. MACKINTOSH. Chairmen of the Common-4-,
brought up the Report. The Bill, with ill' acise-mi-
Menlo, was then ordered to be engrossed, ail.l read
elhird time so-morrow.
Mr. Paulson presented a Petition frwn the
Maltsters, Brewers, and Distiller. i.f the rood.?
of Stirling. in Scotland. complaining of the ritic:
of the new Malt Tax passed iu the last
The House, perhaps, were not aware that tl:e
mobsters of Scotland had la fore that period pant
an inferior duty to the Etiglesh molesters, accord-
ing to • special ierovision of a former Act. Ti
had been done away by be Act of I set 5e1,...,
without eny reason alleged, and sithurit .is lime
being allowed to the Scotch multstets to 1,11,50rl
against the abolition of the distinction they
enjoyed. This privilege had been allowed them to
put the Scotch ministers ou n footing with those ii'
England, which they would not be if the sao,
duty were exacted from each, the Scotch barley
being en much inferior in growth and produce to
the English grain. On there accounts lie Ina) el
with the petitioner., that the House would pay
some respect to the complaint of the petitioners.
The Petition was brought up.
On the motion that it do lie on the table,
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON said lie 'could not
but admire the forbearauce of his Hon. Friend iii
bringing up the Petition. Considering the effects
which h had _reit produced on the intorrbts of those
persons oho were in any say concerned with malt
by the Act of last Session, it was difficult to speak
in very deliberate and mild terms respecting it.
Such had been the distressing results of that Ac:,
that not only the brewer., molesters, and distillers,
but even the agriculturists, were very seriously in-
jured. The House would perhaps hod some diffi-
culty in believing it, but it was no leas true that
the tax at present exceeded the whole price of the
article itself. The House must see that the cons'.
deration of such a subject could not be put off with
any degree of propriety. He therefore earnestlY
hoped that the prayer of the petitioners might be.
attended to, their complaint speedily discussed,
and. if possible, the cause of it be rein..ved.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEIOU La would not
object to inquiry when the subject shoul.l be
brought more regularly and fully before the House.
At present he would only express his doubts as to
the general inferiority of Scotch barley. Doubt.
less there were some bad samplesof barley its Scot-
land as well as in England, but he could out in
the absence of direct proof help questioning the
general inferiority of Scotch barley.
The Petition was ordered to be printed.
DARTMOOR FOREST.
Mr. Alderman WOOD said, that he had given
notice of a motion fur making some use of the
forest and waste lands of Dartmoor. Ilse motion
contemplated in the plan which was to have been
proposed, a considerable relief to the oppressive.
ness of the pauper system. He had learnt thst
there was a plan now in agitation. which hail arised
iu a higher quarter. for maim( some use of none
lands; and although from what lie inidtr,tovel,
the pima in question was very inferior to the ex 4. ni
of its application, yet us its object was of a sitiniir
nature to his own, he felt it necessary to withdraw
his motion, and to give the other preference. it
being likely, from the quarter in which it twailutecl,
to be attended with more success.

SEIZURE OF ARMS.
Sir R. WILSON wished to know from a Right
Hon. Gentleman opposite if any arms had been
seized under the Act for enabling the civil audio.
rities to search for them. He wished al.o to know
in what districts, if soy, they had bees taken. and
what quantities. if any. had been taken by oight
mud by day severally.
Mr. B. BATHURST made some reply. the ',figwort
of which we understood to br, that Goveri.inent 4.41
SS yet tio such returns.
IRISH EXCHEQUER BILIS.
The CHANCRLLON of the Exchrou moved for
an account of the outstanding k.:%ctit quer
Bills which are unprovided for.
Mr. LUSHINOTON brought up the account,
which was ordered to be referred to a Committee of
Supply.
MUTINY ACT.
Lord PALMERSTON rose to snore fir a prolonga-
tion of the provisions of this Bill. It was not ms
inteution by soy means to engage tl e House In a
discussion on the whole of the rum+ contained iii
the Bill. He did not even intend to make u-e
any of its uuwbers. His motion would he ice ;tiler
to bring in a short Bill, just to prolong the provi-
sions of the Mutiny Bill until another P.oliiinent
could be called together. He would di 01,1 .19 ng
soy particular numbers of the Bill. the ilitiereot
items of which would come so much mire properly
under the consideration of u new P.itissurin. lie
moved for leave to bring iii a Bill to pr• long the
provisions of the Mutiny Bill from the 'Z4OI 114 run
to the 41st June ensuing. together w.til a grant of
900,000/. to enable his Majesty to coAintie its p o.
visions.
Colonel DAVIES, though he would not di,ectly
oppose the motion of the Noble Lord. could not
let it pass without expressing his couviet.on that the
military establishmeut of the country was on a scale
by far too (ergo for its amoeba or copal:Wines.--
And though the Bill now proposed to the House

,1

was one, the effect of which was only to continue
f it a short time, he could not help wishing that the
Lord had been instructed to satisfy the
House why so large a military force was to hr kept
tit foot in a time of profound peace. A. large
sum had been allowed by the House last year for
the. military services, in hopes which the Horse had
been -Melted to enteVtain, that i:ensisfir the poi-'
?lon of the force would he disbanded h-fore the con-
clusion of the year. They had seen, however, *oh-
m-creed'', that 11,000 nem were added tit it.• The'
House must naturally wish for more solid Ferrous.
Jim) any yet offered, why this new force was raised,
oat of what sums such levies were to be fur.
noshed. The disturbed state of the country had
been at one time offered as a sufficient reosoli, but
had proved since a very unsatisfectory apology
for such a measure, or indeed fur keeping up
the enormous force which was on foot before
that period. The people who had run about
the country after those turbulent and multi-
tudinous meetings, had found nut that the
speechee tended neither to fill their bellies nor assist
armor business, and discovernig after a short time
that nothing but loss of time and money accrued
from attending such assembhes, had very wisely given
up the amusement. The distracting and terrify-
iog effect of such meetings, which he did not at-
tempt to deny, had reached its height at the time
Ministers were preparing their new forces to cope
.oath it, and since that period it had entirely sob-
riled. He would not say that Ministers ought to
eticourege treason and blsopheiny. or that they did
wrong its attempting to curb sedition:by terror and
re:patties, in any of its degrees; but they might
have left the evils with which they were so alarmed,
is a great degree, and with much more propriety,
ro their own cure. There was still less necessity
now than at that boisterous period for sect, a
strong military force, especially since the hands of
the civil power had been so much strengthened by
the recent Acts. lie disapproved altogether of the
ecerol estimation of the military body, as a part
• the political powers of the country to be used as a
means of internal government ; he rather wished •
that body to be considered as a rallying poiiit in
cases of extreme sired ; he would have them con.
!•ofered rather as a nodose, about which a force •
might, be formed when needed for occatious in
► hich the constitution allowed their use. The more
contitleoce Government placed in the civil powers '
Tar protecting the peace and property of the coun-
try, the mare eifectually and closely would those
interests be preserved, He instanced the case of
Scotland, which, in some of its counties, had
been as' • focus of disaffection, and compared it
with that of Manchester, which, with its neigh-
bourhood. might be considered as the very
volcano of sedition and uproar. The geode-
men of Glasgow had chiefly relied on their civil
authority for keeping duwis the turbulent, and by
union; themselves into a load military force, had
kept their extensive district in tranquillity, with the
lifils:e.11:11 of only 1,600 of the regular force. What
use could there be for 90,000 troops in a country
a state of profound peace? These observations
he felt himself bound to make, though he had no
intention of directly opposing the motion of the
Noble Lewd. He was the less inclined to interrupt
the motion, apt only because it was a measure in-
truded as a temporary one, but because it was 1),0
intention to off..r his opinions in a more detailed and
effective manner when the question of the esta-
blishments should come before the new Parliarneut.
He had expressed himself thus far by way of re-
cording Isis disapprobation of any attempt to keep
I. p so large a military force.
31r. CALCILAYr thought the grant required much
too lirge for the period which it was intended to
cover. Ministers had shewii no good reasons for
i!cparting; as they had done in this measure, from
the precedents in the Journals, of what had usually
been the practice on the demise of the Crown.
Ile thought that the measure of dismissing the Par-
loisnent at a time of peculiar difficulty, without any
previous intimation, a slight done to the people.
When all parties were turned with expectation and
onxii,ty to the measures which would be adopted by
tar House fur the relief of the nation's difficulties--
when all eyes were upon them to know whet
they could or would do to relieve the public from
b;:rdens which were scarcely to be supported—wl,t,,

ix!itions from all quarters, and from all sorts and
tas,es of the community, were pouring in upon
niern, all praying for the consideration of intoler-
s;,:e burdens and grievances—they turned their
backs on all the cries of distress and prayers of re-
I.rf which loaded the tables of the House, and

solpurned fur upwards of six weeks. It had pleas-
est Providence in the mean time to remove the
JC:ittg from his sufferings. They were upon this
told by Ministers, that the House could not be al-
/owed to go into the consideration of the busi-
ness phich bad been all that while neglected.
They were to be scut home to their constituents
as fast as porrible, and that immense mass of affairs
which usually had kept the Mose in the greatest
activity and exertion to get through it during the
inehtlis of March and April, was to be entirely laid
by. Nothing was be done during the whole of those
. two months in which the House was wont to be so
Noxiously devoted to consideration and dispsich of
the people* business. No wan who knew the
gehetal conduct and stratagem of Ministers could
have any doubt about the actual reasons which in-
duced dorm to take their present MOM'. NU one
could be at a loss to - know why the settle-
ment of the Civil List, a 'object which all of them
fish expected to be brought immediately before the
House, was, instead of that, to be referred to •
Parlsaal.-10. Ile had no doubt but that their
hew Civil List contained many items, which, if
submitted to the present House, and agreed to (and
otst other probability was there in such a case ?)
%mild have the effect of placing the Members ill a
very awkward predicament with their constituents,
worn they should come before them at the elections.
Ile thought fit to address these few observations to
the Ihruire on the subject, however useless they
might be coresident!, and west be considered, when
applied to a body, whose character and deeds were
sa thoroughly known and so rightly appreciated.
Ile (tad iiiiked uo hope himself in any thing which
the House would do fur the country rid the short
time they would be tOrther. He Could' tint help
teeltug, however.•assd.expresinig that all the este.
Isti•Lisseuts were too large: Ite.woold nut then go
iitto the disceeeiaw Sc the nevoid rodeo! rads; he
IM led in the muse .f the stet that wore sepia-

. •
nation would be afforded to the Ilnuse than tote
Noble COM had slim any dispeention to give shave,
The Niible Lord hail informed them that it was
not his intention to use any of the precise numbers
of •he expiring Bill. It was not likely. however.
that he would use any less winier', when he had
to bring this 1311 before the new Parliament. He
'{Mr. Cu{craft) objected to almost nil those isinheris,
especially those coanected with she military force.
He would, however, take an import witty of object-
ing es she several items came before the House in
tlw course of the evening.
Lord Pat.seageoit denied any ineliiiation to
withhold explanation. He bad only followed the'
course which had been allowed by all to be the
best Air avoiding diveussinn, nor did he feel dis-
posed to abandon it. notwithstanding the Hon. Gen-,
ilenian's eb tions. The augmenteetron of the
army was II measure obviously rirce*.ary for the
safety and security of the State, threatened as it
was at the time with the greatest and very nearly
impending dangers. As to the dissolution of Pare,
influent. lie thought it a measure diehard by votit.d
wisdom, and perfectly suitable with the reffairs and
condition of the country. Hr thought there could
be no better way of preparing fur the arraisgements
of the new reign.
Mr. Huse thought the House ought to be very
exotic's', and .ortaider well what they were about Is.
do in passing the Bill. Surely they ought to require
very good reasons before they consented, in the pre-
sent state of the country. to continue an expense of
nearly 11.000,0001. to keep up a military esta-
blishment so little reqrsired, and at a time too when
the country was in the enjnynartit of profound peace.
He hoped that on the second reading some Hon.
Member would propose a reduction in the large
amount voted nits former occasion for the military
expenditure. So large an eatabloshment might not
to be maintained multi the present eircuntiftaisces
of the coition..
Mr. CROSIER said, that as the money had been
already witted for the whole year. and as the intended
vote was merely introduced to give a temporary con-
tinuance to the grant already acceded tn, he trusted
no alteration would he made in a vote which had
already received their consideration and resew.
Lord PALMERSTON then obtained leave to bring
in his Bill, winch was read a first and second time,
and ordered to be committed ao-morrow.

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