The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-05-07 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Momor, MAT B.

Mr. M. A. TAYLOR brought is • Bill to enable the Ve.ti y
of St; Alart.k-Botie to contract with any iVater Company
to 'apply that pariah with water ; atm tur the better pre:-
strritioet of the pavement, &c.—Redd a ant time, aud or.
dered to be read a 'retied time.

Mr. Fanoossoit presented a Petition from Aberdeen
against the Scotch Lunatic Asylum Bill.—Read and laid
on the table.

Mr. J. sat mai prevented a Pajama from St. Mar, Mel-
nistb against the Parish Vestries Bill, which was read, a. 4
ordered to be laid on the table. He, nevertheless, repre-
sented hitnaelf to be favourable to the retulationi of the said
Bill.

Air Joint MURRAT presented a Petition from Weyinvatis
and Meleounbe Regis, praying that the duties on Coal and
Calmar, tarried coastwise, might be repealed.—Read, and
ordered to be printed.
Air. Scott presented Accounts from the diamtre of the
City of London, of Disclaimed Dividends in the Orphan.'
Fiona; sho of the Duties on Coil and Wines, Ste.—Laid
on the table.
The Wert India Free Ports Bill was read the third time
and passed.
Mr. LTTTELTOII gave notice be should oppose the Lottery
Bill in all imitates.

Mr. Fin Law brought in the Glasgow Roads and Midge
Hill.—Read a first lime, and ordered to be read a becoad
time.
the Educing ttp Of the Report of the Stearn-Boats Bill
was postponed until Friday.
The House went into Committee on the Sugar II tin
Ad.. In the Committee • Resolution was agreed to, aol
the Report ordered to ba received to-morrow.
Mr. Haulm CLIIIII presented Returns of the number of
Insane Penwes is (mastic Receptacles in Scotland.
Gnenst es•saisosiss gave notice hr should on Friday
move fur • Return of the number of Bonk nobs utiars 10/.
in circulatiou on the Ist of Jauuary 1617, and foe the three
fears preceding.
Lord FOLKITONE presented a Petition from the Howse_
holden of Newbury, complaining of the suggested shrift-
lions in the Pour Laws, and of the inattention of the Hume
to real economy.-11ead, and ordered to be printed.

IRISH EXCISE.
Mr. COOPER rose and said, of all the evils arising
from the Excise Laws, with respect to private distil-
lat. in Ireland, there were, perhaps, 11111 l e wore
deserving of notice than the collusion which esistr.l
ors frequently between the officers of Excise and the
persons who were in the habit a illicit divtillati tttt .
lie knew that country gentlemen were thought to
be friendly to illicit distillation; but there was no
such feeling, except it might be among the very
loam description; all were equally impressed with
the necessity of putting down the practice ; it was
only the cruel means that were adopted to put it
down that he objected to. It was true, they often
suffered from collusion between the Excise officers
and private distillen. The Honourable Gentle-
man himself suffered in this way once. A person
who !lad beets its the practice of illicit distillation,
and hiring out a still for the purpose, when he
found that trade foil, and that his still was nearly
worn out, thought he could do no better than hide
the still in one of his (Mr. C.'s) plantations, and
inform the Excise officer—thereby receiving a re-
ward himself, and the Excise officer • fine. He
would now advert to the particular case which
occasioned his troubling the House, and to which
he would request their attention. By an Act of
the 55th of the King, the having unlicensed malt
in possession is constituted a misdemeanor. The
punishment to be awarded upon conviction, is a
line of not more than 100/. nor less than 10/. to he
paid to the prosecutor—or, instead of fine, a pm-
nishment of *ix months imprisonment. At the late
Assizes of Sligo,among the indictments which came
before the Grand Jury, were a visit number for
misdemeanors for having unlicensed malt, in which
the Excise officers were the prosecutors and wit-
limes. When the prisoners were put upon their
trial, he would beg the House to attend to the
way the prosecutions were conducted. The prose-
cutors, viz. the Excise officers, advised the prisoners
to plead guilty, and that they would be immedi-
ately discharged. They did so—were, of comse,
convicted. and fined 101. each, for which the
prosecutors, viz, the Excise officers, immediately
gave receipts. without paymeut, and the prisons-,
immediately left the Court, hurraing, to begin their
illicit practices again. It might he asked, why
the Excise officers had so acted ? The reason was,
they were perfectly certain of never receiving the
tine from the prisoners, whom they knew to be tot-
able to pay; it was, therefore, better for the trade
to let them go, particularly as the officers w.-re
ro-
titled to a reword from the Commissioners of Ex-
cise, as he (lir. C.) was informed. of in/. upon each
conviction. Now. will the Ilouse please to con-
sider (void the Hon. Gentleman) the nsisekievous
effects of this proceeding. In the first piece, the
great encouragement W illicit distillation ; sod, in

the second place. the great expense attending these
sham convictions. First, the additional allowances
to the militery, who, by the way, in ooe of the in-
stitutes he had slloded to, hod committed a most
wanton murder upon a poor labourer, who was go-
ing to Isis work, and who had nothing whatever to
do with the business; next to the expense of the
military attending oo these netaiong. were the ad-
ditional allowances to the ateise officers, the ex-
pense of the prosecutions. thd convictions, by the
payments to the Law Officers, and the rewards to
the prosecutors. vis. the Excise officers, froth the
Commissioners of Excise. Fur these reasons. he
moved, That an Account be laid before the /louse,
stating what rewards have been promised or paid,
by or on behalf of the Commissioners of Excise in
Iceland to any of their officers, for the detection
or conviction of persons having unlicensed malt,
the number of prosecutions and convictious, end
the Expenses attending such convictions,.
Motion agreed to.
11111311 NAIL-COACHES.
Mr. Comma raid. that he would detain the
House for but a few minutes, to state why he
felt it right to 'call for some returns relative to
Mail-Coach Coiorracts in'lreland. He took it for
granted, that it would not be deniedthat thetreot
end to be tit :Wised by mail;coaclies, was the con.;
veyance of the mails of letters with expedition and
safety ; but by the kind of carriage contracted for
in general, by the Post-Olfice neither of these ob-
jects were attained. The carriages, in most cases,
were heavy coaches, 'carrying six inside and four
outside passengers. which, with the coichthan and
guard. made twelve persons; now it was easy to
see. that this coach, with the 'quantity of luggage
and parcvls which they must asecessartly require.
could not travel at mail-coach rate. The conse-
quence was. those carriages. thOugh the mail-coseh
roads were excellent, travelled' at only six English
tulles an hour, when the very *slowest of the mail-
coaches here travelled at seven miles an hour,
and must of them at eight miles in the hour. The
hall consequences of these heavy coaches to the
trade and commerce of the citatory were very
great; for by au early (etaining of their cot-
respondence, the merchants could better regulate
their markets and their trade. It was evident,
that as the snails left town always at the same
hour, that by increased expedition they got farther
en their journey before theyinerthe return mail ;
and, therefore, that, by increased expedition. many
of the intermediate post towns could receive answers
to letters the same day that their letters were deli-
vered. But one circumstance which he thought
most culpable was, the entering into contracts in
reversion, sometimes for fourteen. sometimes for
twenty-one years, thereby saddling the country
with these heavy coaches for that length of time.—
This practice. he was of opinion, should be put en
end to. It was therefore he begged leave to move
for abstracts of contracts with proprietors of
mail-coaches, stating the number of passengers to
be conveyed, rate of travelling, &c. &c.
This 'notion was also agreed to.
PARISH VESTftIES BILL.
Oa the motion of Mr. STURGES Bootee, the
Report of the Parish Vestries Bill was taken into
reconsideration. Many blanks were filled up on the
motions of Mr. G. OILIER? and others.
Mr. GILBERT moved as an amendment, that no
person should be entitled to vote at vestries wino
had not been assessed 51. per aunties to the poor's
rates.
Mr. S. Souatis considered the amendment went
too far. Already considerable prejudice had been
raised against the Bill throughout the country. It
was not the interest of the House to lanction any
*intendment which might tend to increase the exist-
ing prejudices against the Bill ; and he assured the
Hon. Nlember, if lie should press the amendment,
that he would divide the House upon it.
After a few ohservatiotss from Mr. S. LEFETRE
and Sir C. MONCK. of a similar nature—
Mr. D. GILBERT stated, that although con-
vinced of the importance of the proposed amend.
meet, Ise should, in compliance with the general
expression of the feeling of the House, withdraw
the amendment.

The oinendment being withdrawn, the Bill, with
the amendments, was ordered to be engrossed, and
►end the third time, if then engrossed, to-morrow.

ASSESSED TAXES.
Mr. MCTHUES wished to ask a question of the
Right Hou. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer) respecting his intention as to the tat upon
certain descriptions of two•wherled carriages. He
had been requested by tointuniiiaitions from smite
persons in Wiltshire, who had been shamefully ►ur-
charged in this respect, to ascertain what measure
of relief should be extended to persons so surcharg-
ed, as had (if he recollected rightly) been hinted at
by the Right Hon. Gentleman last Session, to make
the iiiquiry of the Right Hon. Gentleniaii, and
more pArtscularly to ascertain whether the intended
relief wise to have a retrospective effect ?
The CIIANCIELLOR of the EXCHIRQUER could not
give him at that moment any satisfactory assurances
ns to the retrospective effect of the remedy. But
lie could not see how these parties could be 'ulti-
mately without remedy, even as the Act stood at
present, in all cases of excessive or illegal vurcharre.
_ .

Mr. METHUEN said, it was of the utmost tin•
portance a satisfactory ativwer should be then given,
a. the patties bad been already advised to resist the
pat ment.
Here the conversation concluded.
ALIENS.
Mr. I-AMNION seeing a Noble Lord in his place,
whose statement on a former evening, respecting
alleles, had been contradicted in another place,
which 6c could not, conformably with the rules
and orders of the House, mention. took this oppor-
'ty of attempting to obtain more positive and
accurate information on the subject, by moving
expretotly for copier of official documents connect-
ed therewith. a. he was apprehensive the statement
of the Noble Lord might have a prejudicial influ-
ence on Members of that House, when the Noble
Lord's Bill respecting Aliens should be discussed.
lie moved for copies or extracts of all came-
si lessee between the Secretaries of State, since
the toils of November. IBIS, respecting aliens ; and
also for copies or extracts of all correspondence
between the Secretary of State in Great Britain rod
the Ambassador of the Netherland., respecting
',motions grautuble or grouted to petunia not being

subjects of the King of thi Netlieilatids, to come
from or retort) to the Netherlands.
Lord CASTLEILEAGII .tatecl, he had given to the
House, on a farmer evening, that information which
he had reason to believe w.O correct, and assured
the lion. Member, he should be happy to afford
him that spears of information which might be
'considered most satisfactory. Re.liowever, thought
the most eligible mode of proceeding would be to
let time present motion stand, not as a motion. bat
as a notice of motion fur another evening.
- •

To which Mr. LAMBTON assented, end notice W
Riven by him of his oilention to mike the above-
atentioued motion to-morrow.

IRISH GRAND JURIES.
Mr. VESTA' FITZGERALD rose to call the anew.
tion of the House to the motion of which he had
given notice, on the subject of Grand Juries in Ire-
land. It would be recollected, that in the course
of last Sesiion the House, after a deliberate exam-
ration) into the laws which governed the proceedings
of Irish Grand Juries, directed that a certain num-
ber of cuutity surveyors should be appointed, to
decide on the practicability and examine into the
expense of Such public works as should be present-
ed to these tunes. In consequence of the impos-
sibility of procuring competent persons to fill the
offices of theie County surveyors, that part of the
Act of last Scission had been suspended early in the
present. He lainented•that it was found necessary
to suspend this part of the Act, and he begged at
the same time to state, that in the Bill which lie
nowintended to introduce, the clause for the sp.
Pointment of county surveyors would be alto-
gether omitted ; neither was it Ins intention to
embody 'in the Bill that provision most objected
to in Ireland, of restricting the reception of pre.
sentments to the Assizes at one part of the year;
he meant to leave the arrangement of that busi-
ness precisely as it heretofore stood. The opt-
. or every fair man on the state of Grand
Jury business in Ireland. was, that some alteration
in it was necessary, to prevent Grand Junes from
being surprised into decisioos on presentments,
without having an adequate opportunity of coon-
tiering either their necessity or merits. To remedy
this evil, he meant to propose that all presentments
for new works should be submitted at a full attend-
ance of Magistrates (ate attendance that ought to
be rendered imperative) at the Quarter Sessions
to be held previous to the Assizes, at which
these presentments were to be laid before the
Grand*Jury. It was not 'intended that either
the approval or disapproval of these present-
ments by the Magistrates at the Quarter Ses-
sions should trench upon the prerogative of the
'Grand Jury, or prevent their proceeding. as usual,
to consider the grants thus submitted to them
the previous submittal of the intended grants to the
Magistrates was by no means intended to control or
supersede the legal province of the Grand Jury—
(Hear)—on the contrary, it was rather meant to
facilitate and enlarge the performance of their duty,
by enabling them to have better information on the
preaentments submitted to them thins it was pro.
bable they previously hail, and thereby enabling
them. perhaps, to order public works, from which
they might have previously refrained from conscien-
tious scruples. as to their want of adequate infer-
!nation to justify this appropriation of the public
money. las was Most desirable in all cases of these
presentments that the utmost publicity should be
given on the nature of the several applications for
local grants. Io all cases it was known that au
affidavit of the necessity of the application and of
its probable expense was made, but in nine hundred
and uniety-nine cases out of a thousand this affi-
davit was made in the dark, as to the expense, and
the effect was. that little attention was paid to the
sanctity of the oath, and • moral laxity of course
prevailed as to the solemnity of the obligation. In
lien of this part of the former systeiti he meant to
propose, that no person should *ha called on to
swear positively as to the definite amount of ex.
pence, but that it •should be competent for
the Matistrites to call for such evidence as
the nature of the case admitted. in support of
the different presentments,—(Heur, hear.)--
He would not, at this moment, trouble the House
with any details of the manure, which might be
better explained in a future stage; he enfold
merely state, that, in addition to this prelititinery
regulation, on the probable expenife and necessity
of the proposed works, it *As his wish to make
more efficient arrangettessfs for the accounting
branch of the expenditure which may be ordered.
At present there was no accounting fur this expen-
diture in the manner that there ought. Ile nitwit
to introduce • provision which called for all the de-
tails of the expenditure voted. and rendered it ne-
cessary fur the party to produce proper evidence.
on oath, as to all the items for which he paid the
public money—and also that such inquiry should
be openly carried on cora*r jodree, and the ac-
counts liable to be traversed until the next Assizes.
It was far from being his intention tti introrlace any
irrelevant matter on this subject. or to provoke any
hostile feeling, where none. upon • proper under-
standing of the subject, ought to exist. Ile dis-
chinned casting the 'lightest reflection on the
Grand Juries; it was the s 3 stein that necestiitisted
the relbedy. and slot any impropriety du the part of
the Gentlemen who guided its operation as the law
stood. To lily a parliamentary ground for the ne-
cessity of some control in the accounting part of
the presentment money, he had only to state this
strong and indisputable fact, that in no Maumee,
save one (and that was looked upon as au act of
romantic virtue). had one farthing been returned
of the autos voted for Iliadic work.—though it was
notorious that the sums sworn to as necessary at the
outset, embraced is major view of the expense, and
always left room fur eventual contingencies. %%rhea
these sums amounted to half a million annually,
the House might form sonic idea of the importance
of a proper Check um au expenditure so conducted.
This check could be only properly had by an ex-
amination in open Court awl before a Jury, with
liability to have the accounts t) • sed. To his
motion he could anticipate no objection. It did
not, as he had before said, trench un the poser of
Grand Jurist.; but, on the contrary, it gave theta a
b.tier facility of transacting their bit-Mess than
they heretofore per, at med. It was fin I r his wish
to take au iota from their proper ruiliority, as lie
was aware of the valise which Ireland must derive
from the local rehab-tic., of a gentry very properly
exercising the ri;:lit to toiler the neces‘ary expendi-
ture of their own counties, lle was sure that this