The National Register.
London, England, 1812-05-10 00:00:00

MAY 1(i•_

be able, in duty to himself or his family, to accept of office, unless the
Crown had something of this sort to bestow, in addition to the salary of
the office. In such a case as he had supposed, it would be evident that the
existence of such offices would contribute materially to the independ-
ence of the Crown, and to enabling it to keep its proper rank in the
Constitution. It would be hazarding a great blow to the Monarchy, to
deprive the Crown of the means of calling any man to its service who
was not completely indep,:ndent in his fortune. A pension, after a eer-
tain number of year's service, would be by no means such an induce-
ment, as every man of honour and proper feeling would prefer the means
of providing for his family, to any provision which was to be made
merely fur his own life. No man who could secure a provision iii)r his
family by his exertions in private life, would consent to accept of office,
unless he had also a prospect held out to him of securing a provision
for his family, which one of those sinecure offices might give him.
Mr. CANNING supported the Bill; Lord CASTLEREAGH Opposed it.
The House then divided—For the Bill, 134; against it, 123.—Ma-
pricy against Ministers, 11.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of; and the House
adjourned at Three o'clock.

TUESDAY, MAY 5.
UNLAWFUL OATHS.

Mr. Secretary RYDER, pursuant to notice, moved for leave to bring
in a Bill to amend the 37th of his Majesty, relating to the taking of un-
lawful oaths. He stated, that it was very notorious that these oaths
were very prevalent at present, in some of the disturbed parts of the
country. He then read the following oath, which was found in the
pocket of one of the rioters who was shot at Manchester :—[" I, A. B.
of my own voluntary will, declare and swear never to disclose the
name of the persons who compose the Secret Committee, or by des-
cribing either by word or sign their persons,features, clothes, connexions,
Ste. or cause them to be discovered, under the penalty of being put out
of the world by the first person who may meet me, and of having my
name and character ever held in abhorrence. I swear also to punish
with death any traitors to this compact, and to pursue them for that
purpose, although they should fiy to the verge of the nation." }—That
these oaths, in many parts of the country, he was sorry to say, were but
too prevalent, and called for some more severe Legislative enactment
than at present existed. He should therefore propose, that the persons
no taking or administering the oath should be liable to the punishment of
capital felony, without benefit of clergy. These were the outlines of
the measure proposed, of the necessity under the existing circumstances,
there could be no doubt. The Right Hon. Gentlemen concluded by
moving for leave to bring in the Bill.
Mr. I-IctNER, Mr. Wilt rB R EA n. and others opposed it, upon the prin-
ciple that the existing laws should be tried before recourse was bad to
those of more violent operation. Leave was, however, given to bring
in the Bill.

The CHANCELLOR of the Exc iiEQUER stated that he was prevented
by some circumstances from bringing forward his motion relative to the
East India Company this Session.—Adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6.
CATHOLICS.
Mr. CANNING rose to give notice, that it was his intention, before
the conclusion of the Session, to submit a motion to the House upon a
subject which they had already decided they would not take into their
consideration, but which decision had been of such a complexion, as to
persuade him that it might not be impossible to induce them to recom-
mend the question to the Executive Government during the recess of
Parliament. He proposed to move that an humble Address be presented
to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying that he would be gra-.
ciously pleased to take into his Royal consideration those provisions of.
the Penal Law, which affected his Catholic Subjects, for the purpose of
ascertaining what securities or arrangements may be deemed adviseable,
previous to the removal of those disabilities, under which that portion of
the community at present labour. As a Call of the House was fixed for
the i7th inst. he would bring forward his motion on the following day.
PROPERTY TAX.
Sir THOMAS TORTON, pursuant to notice, called the attention of the
House to the unjust and unequal manner in which the property tax was
levied. He objected to the lowness of the scale, which, unlike the origi-
nal tax of 1803, now begins with 101. a year funded property, out of
which modicum 10 per cent. was deducted. The mechanic who earned
his 355. per week was also subject to the tax. So that the pressure was
very unequal ; for those in the higher rank,: of life paid no more in pro-
portion than the lowest mechanic. He had various cases of hardship to
detail, which he had received in the course of the last six or seven years.
he Honourable Baronet proceeded at considerable length to expatiate
on the injustice of making the possessor of a life annuity of 3001. and the
proprietor of a freehold worth 2001. per annum contribute equally to the
property tax ; and concluded with moving, "That the property tax, from
the inequality of its operation on the middling and lower classes of the
community was unjust, ;Lest that the exemptions allowed to foreigners
,(.re unwise and improper."—Nu one rose to second the motion of the
1-1-nourab e Barnet, and consequently the Resolution proposed was not
pet from the Chair.

DELAYS; IN CHANCERY.
, Mr.M. TAirLo a, after a prefactory speech, in which he disclaimed
all intention of casting any censurs On the l_wd Chancellor, moved,

nom.—

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'2S7

" that a special instruction be given to the Committee appointed in the
last Session, to inquire into the causes of the delay of su►ts in the Court
of Chancery, and to examine persons practising at the Bar of, as well as
Solicitors in, the said Court, touching the causes of such civlays.--A
short discussion arose on the motion, which was rejected, the numbers
being on a division, for it, 20 ; against it, 84. •
The CHANCELLOR of the Exc rge rit brought in the Bill against ad-
ministering unlawful oaths, which was read a first time.

THURSDA Y, Astor 7.
On the question for taking into further consideration the Report of the
Regent's Canal Bill, Mr. CR EtiVEY opposed it, and moved as an amend-
ment, that the Report he deferred till this day fortnight.
Mr. Bao U 14 ANI spoke on the same side : the park through which the
Canal was to pass, was the place to which the poorer orders flocked, on
their holidays, for health and pleasure, from the confinement of a
crowded city, and he would not therefore consent to allow that the rich,
for the sake of their shrubberies, their barracks, their palaces, and canals,
should utterly overthrow and trample on the comforts of the poorer
classes.

Mr. POLE CAREW denied that the openness would be cut up, or the
salubrity destroyed.
The House then divided : Against the Amendment, 49; for it,
The Report was therefore received.
TELLERSHIPS OF THE TACHEQUER.
Mr. CREEVEY, pursuant to notice given, called the attention of the
Hotse to the two Tellerships of the Exchequer held by the Marquis of
Buckingham and Earl Camden. The emoluments of these offices :[rose
from a poundage on all money issued from the Exchequer, and were
therefore indefinite in their amount, and augmented in proportion as the
difficulties and expenditure of the country increased. Theie was 73. 6:4.
on every hundred pounds issued for the ordinary service of the army,
and 3s. 9d. for the extraordinary. Eightpence in the hundred for wh:it
was issued for the navy, and twelvepence far the ordnance issues. But
the largest fee was on pensions and annuities granted, -which amounted
to two and a half per cent. The rewards granted to Lord Nelson, Lord
Wellington, and other eminent defenders of their country, for their
great services, were nothing equal to the revenues accruing from these
two offices, for which nothing scarcely was performed. On these
grounds, therefore, he considered it the.dety of Parli:iment to interfere,
and reform these offices for the public good. lie con;:luded by moviilg
Resolutions to that effect.

The CHANCELLOR of the Exc.!' EQU 4t said, :be rit:ht of these Noble-
men to the offices in qui:;tion wag allowed to 1),. a vested right, which
could not be touched ; they were aticiktit legally within the gift of
the Crown, and there would be much more kl:t:lger ar.d !cchiel from
breaking down the barriers of private propel ty in this in: that in
allowing those Noblemen to receive the torty or ilf.y thong:ohls a year,
which were now the emolument 4 of those offices to which they had been
legally appointed.
Mr. Po N SON BY coincided with this opinion.
Mr. BRA ND moved as an amendment, " That a Comn.!!-tee be ap-
pointed to enquire into the facts of•thce arguments adduced by Mr. Cree-
vey, to see how far the diminution of the fees of those offices would be
warranted by former proceedings.
Mr. LYTTL E TON, Mr. WHITBR FAD, Mr. BANKS, Mr. TIER N EY,
sand Mr. WI LaFitroacE, spoke on the question; on a divi•ion the
amendment was lost, the numbers being—for it, 3S; chains it, 146.
The original Resolutions were then put and negatived witheut a di-
vision.