The National Register.
London, England, 1818-05-03 00:00:00

TilE NATIONAL REGISTER.

feeling Of people, then what was not absolutely necessary
WWI Uglait. It was not the question whether they here to
be generous to the army, but whether gave: Dissent was to
keep faith with it. Aftt r or flO years, or perhaps near a
century's practice, ought the less is will the army -to be
altered in a way most galling to the feelings of indivitlisais ?
lltifere going into further particulars. he requested the House
to ;kneed to this effects of a reeent paper, by %thief' an oft'.
e'!l'4 widow. having, by other allot% after. or by her 11111111 I
doubie 'the susionut of the widow's ;tension. might nut
be entitled to tredve such pensions Isereafirt.ltet ne Was 111-
,ltoi sited that it was intended now to amity this print-lisle to ntar-
fleel
off Le't's now iu the army. '1 Ise gross total 'Attie tt
pen.ions, including Ireland was 98,0001. edit. The amount
of the pensions to inilivisMals WAS comparatively small. A
Getscrol officer's widow wad 1201. a year, a Lieutenant, Colo-
lifTs widow 801.. a year, a captain's widoe 401. a year, nsd
•an ensign's widow 3:.d. a y ear. From noble !petit es many
officers made greet sacrifice., by insurance tit' lives and othei
modes, to ps.vide for widows. Many mar:Lagos and settle-
ments had been made by ulfitiers co the principle of enlee-
hating on the wdow'a lend. People must say, Guist! God! is
it possible that it is the officers' widows' fund that govern-
ment rely on for the retrenchment of expenditure Is this
to form the odious contract bettveen the way its whirls the
civil servant; of the Crown, (nisi:tug in Court Invour are to
be provided- tisr, compared wins the :node of provision for the
del enceless videws of those brave officers who have fallen in
-their country's battles? 'l' he total amount of the money dis-
h ibuted its the I.Xeleise of this bounty was 0:4,00d1., the high.
et: oinotiut.it had ever reached, at the period when our mili-
tary establishments had been carried to an emexampled eetent.
It was impossible to estimate the amoisist of toying prodneed
by thistegulation at more than a third of this som. Under
the present circumstances this mould. not exceed the paltry
saving 0r1.,0001. or 2.1,0001. Wits. this a sufficient isidnee-
mem for galling the feelings or impairing the ceinforti of so
respectable and di:films-less a class of pesseits? l'he pretence
ot'ehunoiny made but a bail appearance, when it was found
that in no other respect was public ecutionly consulted, and
that no letretielnuents woe eted, whet,: they were must
boldly c.ihed fur. He felt cooffilent, that not-wily the feel-
ings of the array, but the 2.41141: of the public was opposed to
the regulation ; with regard to which, therefore, hr slinuld
areeptiro compromise, but snore fur its total autt-ttnersmii-
linnet vevoresion. He concluded by moviug that an address
be presented to his Ito i Highnets this Prince Regent,
praying him to revoke, caneel, and annul the late warrant
for regulating the pensions
.due to the widows of military
officers.

Calone! ll.tr.nwarr.g seconded the motion and could ant
avoid thinking that, at the close 01.4111 arduous and successful
war, the sovereign might have -beet spared the inartitication
of interfering with the liberality of his lto} al anceAtorst sanc-
tioned and supported as it had •been by suctessive acts of
the whole legislature.
ilMr. J. SMITH spoke in support.
Mr. F. Dolls opposed the Motion on the grornd of the
jealousy existing in the navy, on account of the preference
sht wit by the existing regulation to widows of military officers
over those officers of the navy. _ _

Lord-Palm ERSTON opposed the Motion, but observed that
the regulations had been forced on the Government by the
calls made by the opposition economy and retrenchment.
colonel STANHOPE said it would bey more consonant to the
character of a great tiatiouovhich has; been so ably defended
by her soldiers and seiunan-to give the pension as a reward of
pest cervices, and4iat to inak:s the widow come and plead in
puliperie. He perfectly agreed 'hat economy was ne-
cessary; but it waa•also necessary to provide for the defence
of the country, audit was due to our character and reputa.
(ion to reward soctivervices. Econorny,no doubt, was highly
cis:Arable ; bet it was an economy that-should diminish the
luxuries of the great, and which never •eusild contaminate
itself with the mites that fall from the table of the poor.
Mr. Cass Yen was •willing to admit, that it was a very corn.
plicatr-ti subject, and one HMO merited some inquiry.
Mr. CALCHAVT said that he hail new th. honour to be a
Member of the Finance Committee; and var.,s touch surprised
to hear, that the country could net support the charge of
these allowanets. But who were the persons th:st made
that assertion ? They -were those—ane Ilse country
would not fail•to notice it—that thought 50i.1:00:, orloo,oool.
a year, if given In the Princes, was not snore than the re.
sources of the nation could provide ; but nothing could be
given to those brave and gallant heroes who had fought for
our protection, and whose valour, as Nlinisters themselves had
freqoently boasted, had secured the independence and
tranquillity of Europe.
WiLattiteolice could not 'help encouraging the hope,
that • the Noble Lord (Palmerston) would find bisosell com-
pelled to accede to the Motion. lie firmly believed the re-
sources of the country were adequate to the accomplish,
ment of the measure now under the consideration of lite
House. _

The CHANCELLOR Of OK EXCHEQUER observed, that the
regulations in question formed part of the great system of
economy recommended by Parliament. If.!•.owever, it were
the wish of the House to adopt a eiJre liberal line of conduct,
lie might pledge himself,. that disposition wcild be supported
by.ninulrers.
After some conversation between the latter Centlonen and
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Motion was withdrawn
accordingly.
CCTTON FA("TORY REGULATION.
After a slight discussion, the operation of the Bill for the
regulation of labour in Cotton Manufactories, was postponed
until the lst.January 1619.
It was then proposed that as clfild be employed under the
age of 9 years.
On which Mr_ W. SMITH proposed a
^p amendment to make
the age 10 years, but on a division for the original clause this
amendment was negatived.
It icts then agreed that no person antler 16 years of age
should ite.employed in Cotton. Factories for more than 11
hours a day. The other clauses were then agreed to, and
the report ordered to he received this day.—Adjourned.

WSDNESD tY.
IRISH CRAM) JURY PRESENTMENTS.

The Him. Mr. BUTLER called the attention of the House
to the abuses practised in Ireland, in consequence of Oinuil
Jury presentments in Ireland. He concluded with moving
ter leave to bring in a Mil, for the more effectual investi-
gation of grand jury presentments in Irelandywhieh after a
abort 'debate was gradted.
tE LOAN BILL.

The CHANCELLOK of the EXCHEQUER moved the order of
the day for the ilott,e to go ►nto a Committee on the Loan
Bill.

'~
•;~ ~.

MAY 'S

Air. Gnumegu thought it necessary to declare, tbet the
opinion he had already given on this subject ent.►inad anal.
tcred. But what he chiefly rose fur, at ',resew, was to give
notice, that after the Speaker left the Chair, it vas his juk,.
lion to oppose altogether that chaise of the Bill which went
to give the. Bank of Flighted a te•e of twenty-pence hie:very
hundred pounds of money, raised by way 04' :eau ; aucta fee
of ten-pence in every hundred pounds of Eveliequer Bills
fenaleil. lie wished that evt•.ty transactinn relative to the
Bank be strictly eNainiuml by a Committee of that House.
Mr. J.W.titta NT said, hr vlionld give his derided oppo-itioa
to the elude of this proceeding ; and he could not help ex-
preieine his eurprise, that the Right Han. Gentleman oppo•its
should come down, 'tar after .year, with proposals for bor.
rowing money, (luting a 44eriod of practise' peace, witlemt
?prettying the means be intruded to adopt iu 1-,1 I tire for the
service and the relief of the coualry. In such at situation, it
was the ditty of the House to insist on 4eeing the actual situe.
lion of the country ; for (liege was not the least prospect, that
the Right Hon. Gent. womb' ever lie able to reduce its ex-
lieu:darter to a level with its income.
The Cuts NCELLOR of the. Ex eft ekillett observed, in reply,
that money twist be raised in sonic way or other, and he
knew no way of obtaining it, except by direct taxa•ion or by
borrowing it. From 'Re tingnciel operation of the last three
years properly considered, it would be found, that we had
reduced the unfunded debt to a lower amount than it was at,
before the tinveentatioe ; while thefunded debt would :iv-
pear to have been reduced to the amount of fifteen millions.
The House bating gone into a Committee, Mr: Oursieitet.
then called tl:e attention of the Cu 1111 l 'Mee to the very hitting
service performed by the Bank, in proportion to the very
trifling service they would have to perform hi consequence
of the operation of the Bill. He would therefore move that
the whole of the clause for giving Ibis reruutieratien to the
Bank be left out of the BM.

The CHANcELLoR of the EXCHEQUER bad no objection
whatever to the fullest inquiry. The operation now in roes_
tion, was not simply a funding of Exchequer Bills—it was a
complicated matter, which was connected with the creating
of a new stock to a ton.iderable amount ; the nrenents of the
Wrote of which were kept by the B.ink. 'lite Bank had a
-Teat deal of trouble—nod much respomihility ; for which
the consideration allowed was by no means too large.
On a division, the claw to thvour of the charge allowed
to the Bank was carried by amtajority of 15.
The other classes of the Bill went throng's the Cammittee,
and the 'upon wa, ordered to be reteived on Thursday.
No other business of importance.
THUEEDAY•
COUNTRY BANKS.

Thr HANCE/J.oft of the Esicticinert rose for the purpose
()leaning the attenticu of the Noise to the subject of a notice
which stood at present for Monday next, for the first readiug
of the Dill for regulating the circulation of Country• Bank
Notes. In mot ing the discharge of thisorder, it was proper
at the same time to state that it was only abandoned for the
present, from a belief that some is:oditications were necessary,
avid in the apprehensions that the discussions to which it
might :ire rise could not be brought to a close during the
present Session.
Afters- warm debate, during which the total relinquish-
ment of the measure was urged by alto opposition, the order
was discharged.
POOR. LAWS. •

Mr. S.ltutlnsts begged to call the attention of the House
to the existing state ut our Poor Laws. These I.aws hail
been introduced into the country in the reign of—Elizabeth
.before which time, povertylad no dependance bin on private
charity. From the different enactments and alteration it hail
been found necessary to make from time to time in these
Lae particularly in those which regulated the settlement of
the Peor,they were become so involved in doubt and intricacy
that lawyers themselves were puzzled, and it was hardly
possible to obtain a consistent opininu, and the litigation on
the subject was incessaut. Then, again. came the case of
hiving with respect to service. k;reat difficulties, and nume-
rous questions, had arisen on this head. .Questions
whether the nontract had been dicpensed with, or whether
it tad been dissolved. In many places (mach, he confessed,
to the disgrace of the persons) it was covenanted that they
should not hire -a labourer for more than 50 weeks. There
was, in his opinion, no better principic, thin that the place iii
which the party had resided, and which had had the benefit
of his earnings, should be liatile to provide for him in his
poverty or old age. .He should have to suggest to the house,
that after a person had resided a certain tinge in a parish, he
he should go before the parish officers, who should grant Inns
a certificate, specifiying that he shad resided in the parish
during that time. At the same time, it would be proper to
provide against that temporary absence which .fifight occur ;
and, in this view, it he wise to allow, that sixty days
should he alloweo for ahb,neo. provided that the party had
not been guilty of any crime or misdenvfalour. By such a
law, he hoped that au end would be put tq the present
complicated and vexations litigation. Another alteration of
the present system which he was to propose was, that, in case
of appeal, nu removal should take place till the appeal should
be decided. Ifin any ciromnstances the parish should
move the individual before the ileeb,ica of the app cal, they
were to pay all the expenses occasioned by Cle removal.
By Owe alterations he hoped to ri!:.pay the law of 4ettle-
meat, and to remove many sources of litigation and expense.
He concluded with leave to bring in a tail to alter and amend
the laws respecting the settlemeut of the pcor.—Leave
granted.