The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-14 00:00:00

There was one point entitled topwat coasidei-atitio,
mean the preterit rate of attestant taken by the
Bank. I do ►►it'cor a moment wish to interfere in
the exclusive alibi of the flank to direct its own
internal regulations, bet t merely mall to throw
out, and 1 do so as a flank Proprietor, that if the
discount were reduced from Sto 4 per ern.. much
flume hinnies% would he done, nod, n► the main, a
greater profit would arise."
The CIIATICIILLOR of the ExcumouEa—•• The
repayment will he optional with the Bank in the
course of the year--that is what I memo to say."
Mr. Tient+ ••44 Will it be made in the pre-

sent Session ?"
The CitANCEI.T.OR of the Examunt said, that
according to the plan, money was to be obtained
for the public service at a cheaper rate thou at any
former period.
The Bill war then ordered to be read the third
time on Monday taw.

GREEN BAG CONIIHTFEE.
M. BROUGHAM wished so know when the Re-
port of the Committee was likely to he brought on?
Lard CAertaattecti renhe.l. the Committee was
still sitting, and that the Report would he made as
room as powsible—bot he could not name a specilic
day. • •
• HIGH BAILIFFS AND'CONSTABLIVI.
Mr. CALI:RAPT presented a Petition from the
High Bailiff and Constables of Westmeutter.
for • remuneration fur their atteudauce on the
Home.
The Cdawcatt.om. of the BIMINI/VER. had 110
'objection to a coniideration of this motion.
It was ordered to be referred to a Committee on
Monday next
ROYAL SCOTCH BURGHS.
Lord A. HAMILTON rose to make Isis promised
•Mation respecting the regulation or Scotch Burgh..
'He felt it incumbent on him to premise, that. iii
submitting this motion to the House. he had not the
slightest idea of connecting it Messy way, either now
or at any future period, with the general question of
Parliamentary Reform. The discus ion he proposed
to eider into, might, iis his mind, without prejudice
be mated u a separate question from that of Par-
hainemary Reform, as it was generally denomie
elated. Ilia application to that !louse was prompted
by the most sincere desire to be of service, more
isarticularly to that part of the (Jolted Kingdom
to which. Fr lns earliest years, he had beau Wire-
tionateltattached. The question was not whether
the people of that country (Scotland) felt dissatis-
fied w'th things as they were, or *hitt MU the pre.
pfirtion of • oppression they were subjected to in
convequetift of the existence of the evil complained
of. Ile was satisfied the case he should have the

honour to disclose to the 110 use. would discover in
it such a system of fraud soil iniquity as would
call imperatively upon the IlUtrde to redress the
grievance. The one of the Scotch (loyal Burghs
we!. (ruin these circumstances. eminently entitled
to their comoderctiou. (wiliest Burghs the resident
iiiliabitants had 110 cuourtitutional control over the
Magistrates mid Officers of the Bisrith. who, for
the greater part. elected themselves iu perste-
tuity. instead of being elected by the Burgesses,
u they should be, if any regard were to be had to
the ordinary (lichees of IrViiloll or justice. Yet al-
though the Bin grilses were thus deprived of all
constituti I Collirtill over their office's, they were
nevertheless considered by the constitution of the
Burgh liable to their per.unat effects and property
to the debts incurred air the part of the Corporatism'
of the Burgh. What was more extraordinary in the
system of election, if such it .might be called, in
these Burghs. was. that the Nliagistrates after be-
coming self-elected, and that nut mitrequently its
perpetuity, nitro proceeded to elect such persons tufo
die Corporation as were likely to be subservient
to their wishes and Irolitits. It was even a matter of
indifference whether these Magistrate's were resident
or not,-and its-no:indorser were these public officers
of the Burgh liable to be called to account for the
sums of tummy deposited or expended. her the pub-
lic me of the Burgh •by tile Burgesses. Cases of
this peculiar nature hail been brought before the
Courts in Scot land, snot some hid lwris removed into
Appeal Courts in this country. flue in 1707 had
hero (nought before the of the Exchequer,
and Lord Kitties expressed I self extremely von-
reused the Court was not competrot to afford the
Burgh any redress alder the circumstances; as si-
milar application to the Courts of this country had
.net with. like fate in MO, and the parties were in-
formed the Court had nu authority In interfere
in the adjustment of their accounts. The case of
the Burgh of Montrose was that w which be wished
particularly to draw the attention of the House.
This Burgh had been hi the last year, owing to a
siosi-election of' its officers at the register period. in
point of fact dissolved, an application was there-
mines made to his filajesty's Government to revive
it by a poll-election. Goer 1111 l rent in that case
proceeded to revive the Burgh, but iu doing so,
effected • complete alteration to else settlement, or,
sa it is called. the constitution of the Burgh. He
would not enter into the propriety of the origin*,
constitution of these Burghs, but he cooteisiled
that whet bad been done in this case, and the case
of Stirling, which was similar, hold trot been &vie
justly, because the Crown had, in the case of Mon-
trose, taken upon itself to alter the constitution of
the Burgh, so as to affect materially the state of
the representatiou of that place iu Parliammit.
However, this alteration (which lie could not deny
crested an extension of the franchise) might have
been unattended with dangerous results to the
public interest iu the late case, its very exteinion
might Ire productive of the worst consequetices.
hod filinistry loads a snare constitutimial use of
_

the facility nine!, it might have afforded them. lie
should call the attention of the House to ail.: (pro-
tium on a more extended scale after Easter; but for
the present he should, in reference to the existing
case, endeavour to supply that information to the
House. which it was expedient they should have,
by moving, That a copy of the act and warrant
of his Majesty's Council. dated Septentl.er, I 817,
authorising the Guild of Brethren and Burgesses
of Montrose to elect a set of Magistrates and
Town Officers, and rho fist prrmittwg them to
alter the set of the Constituf of that Burgh in
all time to come. should Ise laid before the House.
The motion bring pot and seconded—
Lord Cacer.EßLAUii contended, 'lna if the ques-
tion of Reform, as to a number of Scott Burghs,
were mow entertained, and the papers required graut.

. .
ed. uldiougls it might toot be the Noble Lord's wish The Lome Anvocace made • few remarks is
to introduce the rpleation of Parliamentary Reform, reply.
yet it would thus he incidentally eistertained upon Sir JAME. Nltcattcrosu runt, the present wise
inadequate and fallacious grounds. That there neither a question of Reform nor of I.lw—for the
were too grouuds for the imusediete interference of former he would consider the time unseasonable,
the House, onigtloifitilzeilivoesfer,reil from the satisfaction for the latter the House of Commons an unfit place.
the Burgesses of Montrose and other It was unfair to allege that the principle of elec.
pieces, felt at the change, and the genetul peace- lion in Boroughs in England tied Scotland was
able and tranquil disposition of the inhabitants siotoilor ; the fr 1111 l er contained a variety of rights
of all the Royal Scots Burghs. Alt that could was popular—the latter an tiosiformity, and was
he said on the subject uow was, that he, in oligarchical. 'file true quest" was toot, whether
common with the Noble Lord, regretted there the Crown might revive a Burgh, but whether it
was that defect in the constitution of the Scots . could make a change in its cnoodle-doe. As to
Burghs, which rendered it difficult fur the Bur- I the case of Stirling, it had never yet received e i
games to inslieet and control its accounts siod ex- decision iii any Court, so that nothing could be in-
penditure. But surely an applicat. to l'arlia- li ferret' from it.
meat, no
of this nature, was t the way to obtain ode- Mr. J. I'. GUANT said be wished to be under-
quote redress. The papers sought for could not 1 I stood as not giving any opinion on the point of law,
w
afford adequate information to be of any eeded whether the Crown had a constitutional claim to the
utility. and the Lord Advocate had that evening 1 power it exercised over Stirling and Montrose.
given notice of his intention to bring in a Bill to Even were this claim well founded, the power it
meet the grievance complained of, and grant to a confers deserved to be well looked into. because in
competent Court a right to inquire into and exa- case of informality at an electi, . the Court of
mine such accounts. He could not help thinking Sessile' might set aside the election ; u suspeiosiou
that • Court might even now be applied to which of the elective franchises would follow, and a power
would quasi. any illegal and extravagant assessment in the Crown to remodel them at discretion. ll'hat
by such Magistrates. But the fact was, the Noble ; he Intl described *night Implore in every Royal
Lord did not appear to thick the Burgesses I Burgh. in Scotland, and he entreated the House
hail not an adequate ilefeuce whereby to defend to cooisider hole far the conquencts of it luight
themselves from illegal nstosinents, so much as extend. The Burghs were not by any means so
their inability to superintend awl in their well satisfied with their condition us the Leot!ioril
officers in any attempt to misapply their funds. He Lord had asserted. At this moment there acme
thought the question might be determined in the Petitions from many of them agoiiiost.the lied elec-
Courts of Law, particularly if the Learned Lord dons, kith a view to have their rights suspended,
Adiocate should pass hie Bill. indeed the question mud their conslitutiou altered. No question bud
might incidentally be brought before" Committee more agitated the people of Scotland than the goes-
of the House under the Grenville Act; and he could lion of a reform iii the Burgh representation.
not help thinking the House itself the least adapt- 1 It was not advisable to place in the Alinisters of time
ed to discuss and determine open an intricate and I Crown • power to alter the sets of Burghs. Ile
c placated question of Scotch law.—(4 jaelh. I hoped the paper* would be laid or, the table.
—Voider these circumstance', he felt dial to The Loan ADVocATE explained.
resist the production of the pipers, as inadequate to Sir Box a 5.0 FiiimussoN said, that there was OD
their professed purpose. anxious desire of change in Scotland, and much
Mr. Aseecnosinc-.-It appeared to him that the attentions to the subject. Ile read extracts Irma
representation in the Scots Burghs required re- au address, and other papers. to prove that even
formation more than any other, it appearing that personal connected with G,verionient were actuated
the defect of which the Noble Lord complained by these ft-thugs—anti hoped fur the attention of
aas inherent in the s ery constitution of these Ministers to the subject.
Burghs. As the Burgesses of Montrose appeared Lord A. Ilatat hive stated, that the late Junto
Isatisfied with the present fruits of the innovation had involved the Burgle of Alicitleen in a debt of
i which had been made on their constitutiots, it I 237,000/ ; and time present borrowed 57,0001. to
behoved the Noble ,Lord to draw the attention I pay interest. They had loorrowed of charitable
1 of the House to that which otherwise that Howe "institutions, and of i very one that would lend ; they
Iwould pot be likely to hear of. its existence lead iecurreil debts from 25,000/. down to /. The
us a grievance. But the Noble Lord (Castle- Burghs could not cusatiuue another Sessioto as they
reagh) should have eliewn that this was not.* fit were.
question for partiaroentary correction. us well us A Member under the Gallery said, that the
hove attempted to spew it might equally well have Corporation of Aberdeen had hitherto paid 4 per
been mooted in a Court of Law. Ile was happy cent. ye their debt, and were now in a condition
to hear the tone of the Noble Lord so auddenly to pay ii.
changed, with respect to the internally tranquil Mr. Fortues moniker! that every rpirtinn hart
state of • country with which lie was particularly two sides, and the Noble .Lord appeared to have
connected, He could see no objLetion to grantieg reed only one of the present—thin a,,,,osioost the Cm-
the motion of his Noble Friend. I 'emotion. He added, that in a short time the state
The ' LORD ADVocATIt of ScOTI.AND—No of thinos there would be Nei). materially improved.
charge of disloyalty or disseffection had been ever I Mr. W. SMYTH avid lie had _ I wen u Burgess of
brought by him or Via Noble Friend against the 1 Aln Metal furry year-, and hoped lie should toot
people of Scotland generully, upon a late occasion, I suffer from the night NI picture of debts there that
I but against the population of Glasgow and its' I hail been drawn. The funds were not in so bad a
neighbourhood. If the Magistracy had power to condition as represented.
contract debts for which the Burgesses were to be I Mr. Fonnes said a few words in explanation.
considered liable, then these parties in fact levied I Mr. UtaunLAs 1.a141, that niter pitying Ilse inter-
taxes without the consent of their constituents, est of their Delo, the Corporatioe near enabled to
and acted directly contrury to law, us would ap- Iferin a einkieg fetid of 300/. a year.
pear from the general re:armo I :th ree contained The question was thee put um{ toerottived uith-
a
in the famous Declaration of the Scottish •Par- I out a division.
liament, similar to the Hill of Rights in Bag-
land. No such authority, therefore, rkisted its had
been decided in a ease its the House of Lords, when
I the Corporation endeavoured to recover a debt due
to itself without ,siscrees. The collie derided by
the Barone of the Exchequer hail hero mid-
represented. The Burma only decide rl they
could not ento-ce a jurisdiction, which had
been appointed with a view to auditing accounts.
The state of Scotch Burghs iii losing the power
1
of electiug Corporation Officers, when they neglect
to elect ou the day appointed by charter, is pre-
I cisely the same as in England. Before the Noble
Lord could produce tau alteration in this respect
iu Scullion'', lw most say that the King_ hos uu
gush power as that he protests against its England.
According to the Constitution the power, is neces-
sary iu the King. In the Declaration of Griev-
ances, at the time of the Revolution, this power
was expressly recognized. The grievonice imputed
to Jaime 11. was the taking away of the charter",
without surrender, judgment, or consent ; this quali.
fication *hews dial it was only considered u grievance
when attended by those circumstances. A power
similar to the one under consideration had been ex-
ercised over the Burgh of Stirling, in the year
1782. That power had beets disputed three several
times its tie Court of Session, mid examined into .by
five or six Committees of that House.. Au objection
never had been 'mule to the election on the ground
el die warrant from the Crown being mill, 'Eke
Noble Lord might acquire much informat" on
the subject. by referring to the debates of the year
, 1789 or 90. The very same question had then
I been argued before the House, ois a modulo of
I Mr. Sheridan, to inquire into the state of the
Royal Burghs as Scotland. The case of Stirling,
to which be hod alluded, was referred to by the
Committee, and the King's right to alter the set of
Ithe Burgh recognised. 'Eke alteration made in
Stirlieg was precisely the same at that at Montrose.
i The former measure petard its exatnisiation through
! Courts of Law and Committee' of this 110 use, with-
' out any censure; and this was enough to *hew there
1 was no foundetion for the present motion. Oil the
i ground of illegality. It *mold be inspossible to
give the some constitution to all the Burgle'. and
the same fields of electium without destroying the
most of their churters; so that when a like case
I would occur, such a remedy would Le applied as
I its particular circuniatisorcelo would require. The
I rights of these Burghs were recognised and pre'
' served entire at this time of the Usoirou—* right to
alter Untie multi Wiwi was unquestionably vested
in the Crown lodine the Genoa, it would follow that
this right mutt still subsist. lie unshed for some
I evidence to shew that the people of Scotland were
I desirous of a deluge in the present Burgh system
—he believed that if the sentimesita of the electors
i throughout the Royal Burghs could be uscertailied,
1 they would be those of alarm at what the Noble
I Lord contemplated.
Mr. ABEILCIttIMIT explained.

• Pntzr. or WAR.
Sir JAmrs MACK I S TUNII did not conceive that
any opposition could he offered to the 1111 l tion lie
WIIR about to wake. He. therefore, ntovrd—
"
That an Account be laid haure the Rouse of all I'rizc
of War, other than Druitv °like c,uwu and bruit,, of Ad-
-144114, received by 14,1 Majesty educe the lit of l'ulwisary
1793, vpreifying lbw dale, amount, nod •vource of the conic
rtlXiVV.i, and also of the application of the rya tpli."
The CILANCELLOR of the ExcitEtauEu. way not
aware what difficulties might be encountered in
preparing such au accoinst ; lie should, therefore,
trug,,,est the propriety of postponing the motion
until Nionday.
Sir,J AUKS MACKINTOSH acceded to the sugges-
tion. and the nut WAS withdrawn.
Mr. W•tici presented the Ordnance Estimates,
which mete ordered to be printed.
SURGERY.
Mr. llaoutiEst !nought in a Bill for regulating
the practice of Surgery in Orrat Milan. and Ire-
land. which was ordered to be prime.(, and read a
second time on Thursday next.
The [louse then adjourned to Monday.

[For Lair latellifpract, 4 r. see last pare]

THE B S H PRESS.

LONDON.
,
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 109. T

The l'arig Paper* of Tuesday arrived last niett.
The ComMittee of the Chamber of Depnties on
the Budget wet on Monday. The projt-t of the
law for recruiting the army, adopted by the Cham-
ber of Deputies, Wll4 prerented to the Chamber of
['Errs, and was ordered to be referred to a Com-
mittee. The fulluoing ure extracts :

PARIS, FEB. 10.
The English packet Favourite, which suited
from Dover on tlae 4th iustant, was wrecked at six
o'clock ut night, three leagues and a' hall to the
west of Calais, between N:psul and Sennegate.
Fortunately the ilea was not so rough as to prevent
the boat Irmo being put our, and the passeugers,
I►rgir►ning with the ladies, were landed in safety.
Among there was Madame the Countess of Boigeas,
daughter of the Margolis of Osmond.
The trial of Madaine Manson, and the other
. persons charged with the murder of Funldes, it i.
supposed will be further postponed Irma. the 11 tli
' of March to the third week in April.

On Sunday, the Ist instant. nu EugHalt I.ntly.
married to a Frettelt Colintel, abjured the Protest-