The National Register.
London, England, 1817-05-05 00:00:00

SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT.

Mr. Wtuseatsmace presented a Petition from the Acade-
mic Society, which, he stated, met iv Chancery Lane, from
ihe year 1/9S, for Philosophical and et►er questions °fa Po.
mica! nature, not Alerting anyii ming iiablic character. The
.nembers bring sue/libels of the different Colleges in the
Coded Ellitarr—teat they applied to the Quarter Sessions
tor a Licence and were refined. The lion. Gentleman said,
he• voted fur the BO; tout Vile had thougal that a construc-
tion s. t 144, mil' COM pletancd of would have. been put on
the he should not have given the out. hr did--t
hear!) It was not the intention of the Legistature to prevent
Liberal and tree diseossion.—c liar, Ater
Mr. Gnaws-stated that the persons rho now petitioned
sere of the• most respect/stole character.
Sir M. W. litotes( said, he was minuted that this Petition
should have oven necessary. The House would recollect,
that mie of the arguments used against the Bill was, the lon-
ger of putting in the hands of Magistrates garb power*, which
they might construe improperly, and which, in fact, they had
d. me. He hoped, therefore, that Ministers would broadly
3-are what they considered the proper construction to be put
on the Bid.

Mr. BATHURST knew nothing attic Petition, bet from what
it contained ; taking it on that allerstion--" that no meeting
should be liceuerd for political purposes" lie must say, in
answer to the question proposed by the Hon. Baronet, that
nobody could suppose that any well construction was in-
tended by this House ; or that it was meant by giving that
discretion to the Magistracy, that they should prohibit poli-
tical discussion in all cases ; but that they were at liberty to
esercise a sound discirtinu, foanded, as the Urn. Baronet
bail said, on Lord Alansfieid's °pie*, acting from legal mo-
tives.

Mr. Bt. OUG HAM observed, that the Government could not
euquite. fur the law was passed which gave We authority to
the Magistratee.
The WHOMs was then laid on the Table.
Mr. BSOUGHA NI presented a Petitimi, signed, as he stated,
by overly the w bole town of Birmingham. No public aotier
ur meeting heed been held ; but the Petition was deposited at
three different places, and within forty-eight horns, upwards
of 10,000 persons, all above 29 years old, amarently, came
Mrward and signed It. The Petition was then suffered to lie
e day et Isiso longer, and then imwarits of 12,500 had signed
41. The Petition &toted the distresses of that once flourishing
own. The average amount of the poor-rate. for the last Mee
,months was 9s. ; thr the last six months lls ; for the last three
months 13a.: and for We lest fortnight lai. 1.1. in the pound
sterling. He trusted, that whatever relief Parliament could
*herd, it would be sagely administered, and productive of
onus good than he and many expected from i'.
The 1'e4m404, was then hs might up and read. It prayed
.has they might be supplied with labour, so as to earn an hie
lest livelihood; their while wants being food and clothing.
end shelter from the elements. It would lie better fur them
-it die Wattle live; fur then they would not be subject to the
.orrors of hearing their famished Milliken trying 14 food.—
•till their misfortunes had nut mimed their veneration for the
,:onstitution, or their love for their King and Country. But
.bey could not help thinking, that ins great c tttttt try like this,
.almiir and the means of existence toiglat be f I for all.
The Petition was then (mimed to lie on the table, and to
oe printed.
RELIEF FOR THE POOR.

The Mouse went into a Committee ou the issue of Exche-
quer Bill« for the Relief of for Poor.
VAkSIITART said, he had two Resolutions : one, that
...is Majesty be enabled to issue one million and a halt of
e',..4l,titaer Lila. ILO IN vestediu Cotatinssisomes, and by then.
surd to corporate bodies and %parishes, towards the comple-
tion of works of a pabla, mature, Oa a doe security twin_
Riven. Another Resolution was Mr a similar .rant IA
214,0001. to Ireland, roe the corapletiou of public wet ks, Imi
ait.o be advaiived to parisheß in that country. It would be
f, nd much better to afford relief ley employing the pour in
pudic works, that by wants to the agricultuie or mercantile

MAY S.

interests. The Commissioners would hive under their spe-
cial consideration the Influettee which the work would have
in relieving these who should be employed in completing it.
It was generally known, that many canals, iinprovements of
harbours, Sc. which had received the sanction of Parliament,
were hi a state of stagnation fur want of money to cal ry them
on. The sums to be issued womdd be vested in Commissioners
unconnected with Government, but appointed by Parliament
in the body of the Act, and acting on their own responsibility.
It ought be thought advisable to confine these grants to
works which had received the sanction of Parliament. such
as the fisheries. He trusted that it would prove on this oc-
casion, that the relief afforded to the poor in this way would
be effected without any loss to the country ; for the expellee
of Commissioners would be defrayed out of the interest of the
money advanced. As to Ireland, the only difference would
be, that these grants would not be advanced for parochial
meets: It would be impossible to make any grant sufficient to
relieve the general agrieteltnrel distress, without adding a
still further temptation to the poor to seek parochial relief.—
No part of this measure was intended to apply to agricultural
relief. At present be should oaiy submit his gestations to the
House, and them move that they be taken into consideration
sotne lay next week, as, no doubt, the subject world require
much revision. He sten moved that his Majesty should he
enabled to issue a million and a half of Exchequer Bills for
the relief of the poor of Great Britain.
In reply to a SpleWliaa &OM Mr. Poe sewer,
Mr. V erisirrane said, it was proposed that the Exchequer
Bills should be re payable in three year., and that the Com.
ntisaioners should be empowered to receive re-payment by
lomat:news; except in certain caeca of public works, and
then the term of repayment might be extended to seven
years. The Exchequer Bills were to bear as interest of five
per tent.. and the security to be demanded would be on the
property of' the Corporate Bodies, the Proprietors of the
Works, or on the rolls of the Harbours, Roads, and Bridges.
Mr. BLAZE coasidePed this as a measure Out to supersede
Os poor-rake, but to redeem the agricutteral distress. It
wise b lisispision, enclosing waste leads, and promoting
bird sisviiones, that these funds would be best applied,
especially in Ireland.
Mr. Puittles said. be was yet at a loss what the security
required was. He had said nothing as to the security to be
given by the parishes, salmis it was by taking the personal
hseeurity of the people is the perishes, and testy were to have
IS pour-rates as a mainter *outlay. He was convinced that
the relief proposed would be totally inadequate to the wants
of the matenfacturiug districts.
Mr. GRUNFILL wished to itimelsow this advance was to be
made. He hoped it would not br nettle in large sums of
10001. but in SUMS less than MN. itPussible.
Mr. VANSMTANT said, the Exchequer Bills would be Is-
sued by the Commissiouers, is sums of 1001. The nature of

the securities to be required Would be the same as in all (Sr.
nice issues of sorb Bills.
Mr. LAMM trusted that it would be most fully nnderstood
out of doors, that t4is plan was to supply the poor with las
boar. and nut to contribute to keep them in idleness. •
Lord COCIIRAts6 thought this snot should be grinned to the
pew, as a part re-payment of that which had been takes'
from them already. As to this proposition of the Chancellor
of the E.selietpier, k was perfectly nugatory. if they wiped
oil the national debt with a sponge, and throw all the Bank
notes and Batik books 11110 the are, the nation in general
**aid net be one farthing theAwsorer.
Mr. Poteennew did not yet misdeeds's++! the Right Hoe.
Geutleman's plan ; but am it Mika intended to do good, be
thought it was essential that it should be done gnickly.
Mr. Vanserrmir said, he would bring iu the Bill as soda
ns posidloe.
Lord Slivron said, that out of doors it had been unties%
stood that this plan went to give general relief te the country ;
and therefore he thought this conversation would be woeful to
do away that delusion.
sir E. Bit voc►.s was afraid that the proposed relief did not
go far enough.
Sir J. NEWPORT had some don /Is of the einem, of tide
itirnsiire 4 hot lie wuuhl not oppose it.
Mi. VA NSITT ART saitl, there would beg provision that the
Clown should nut have a priority of the former creditor', ex.
cant ny the consent of those creditors themselves. Tiir vein,
was to be granted solely in the Alai* of wink, tenting it to
those to whom the grants should be mule to fix tree wore of
the work ; but generally speaking, it was to he work of a
public him', such as roads and e_nals.
Mr. Li TTLS.ToN was unwilling to east a damp on any thing
which should have fee its object the public good ; but he
must deny that the distress arose from a %%Silt of capital, but
for want of a preductive mode of ensployisig it. If the Right
don. Guntleinan would employ two or• three millions in some
great woo ks of national utility, which wool,/ yield a return in
better times, that would be intelligent enough: but be
bad little expectation of good trout making of roads and
canals.

Mr. C. GRANT said. this relief was intended to preserve
the poor from the immediate danger of starvation.
Mr. VANSEETART repeated, in answer to 4111rAtiORA troim •
Sir M. W. Ridley and Lord Milton, that the security to be
ralptired was the same, as hail been asked on every rol MCC
OrCASOoI Mlle', relief was granted of this kind.
Mr. BROUGHAM hoped it wunkl be found practicable to
get user lunch of the ornitacle whirl' presented itself. On the
first view of this plat!, he hail nuilerstood ilia' this was not to
relief parish paupers; but as much as robAilik• to provide the
pour with work.. It appealed. that the relief proposed to be
given to Birmingham 'souk' only minutia to alum! ii. a luau,
at 10,0001. He mentioned this to prevent a delusion among
the people, when they hear of Parliament granting a 'utilise
and a half fur their employinestin labour.
The Resolutions were. then agreed to, and the Report was
ordered to be recei sett to-morrow.