The National Register.
London, England, 1816-03-17 00:00:00

1/111; NATIONAL REGISTITR.

vot, d last year, for paying the arrears of the Civil List, had
been applied.
Mr. V A %•ITT A /IT said, it had been applied to the purpose for
whi,h it had been granted; and that all arrears were paid up
to the of April Wt.
Lord Forges-rose observed, that, at any rate there was, even
in these times of economy, an arrcar on the Civil List, in one
v, ar of 2:7,0001. With respect to the Income-tax, the Bight
Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had said,
the tax would not affect the manufacturers; but an Hon.
Baronet (Sir R. Peel) had said it would atfect them very ma-
terially, and he was inclined to take the opinion of the Hon.
Baronet in preference to that of the Hight Hon. Gentleman.
The Right Hon. Gentleman had said, the attempt to resist the
renewal of the property-tax was a campiracy amongst the rich,
who did pay it, against the poor, who did not pay the tax. This
was language which the Noble Lord hi4hly deprecated as tend-
ing to set the rich and poor at variance.
Lord lIINNTNG defended the tax, and contended, that the ex-
planations so frequently given by the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer to observations of gentlemen, not made in the fairest Wily,
were so many proofs of his sincerity.
Mr. Founts opposed the tax.
Mr. GitestELL opposed the tax in any shape, and said, the
imposition of it on the public was peculiarly hard, as there was
at this time a sum of 11,000,0001. Unclaimed Dividends, in the
hands of the Bank of England. One question he wished to ask,
and that was, whether, it' the Right Hun. Gentleman should
carry this odious tax into effect, he flattered himself with find-
ing any respectable persons among the body of Magistrates
who would assist him in carrying it into execution.

NAPOLEON B LION APART E. •
Lord CASTLE:III:AGM rose, pursuant to notice, to move for
leave to bring in a Bill for the better securing the person of
Napoleon Buonaparte. The Noble Lord entered into a res iew
of the situations and characters which Buonaparte had tilled
and borne ; namely, of Emperor of France, and afterwards of
Elba, both of which he had forfeited. The Noble Lord said,
he would nut now enter into a particular detail on those heads,
but put the present case on the necessity of securing the per-
son of Buonaparte, to secure the future peace of Europe.
Having stated this necessity, he wished now to propose to
bring in a Bill to provide for the better securing the person of
liuonapai ; and to instruct those who had the custody of him
in what manner they were to treat hies: and here he should
propose to describe him as a prisoner of war; and in this cha-
racter the• law (dilations would instruct those who had the care
of him how he was to be treated; at the same time taking care
that his treatment should be as kind and liberal as circum-
stances would allow. The Noble Lord concluded by moving
for lease to bring in two Bills; one to secure the person of
Buonaparte ; the other to regulate the intercourse with St.
Helena.

Mr. linouottAw did not intend to oppose the bringing in the
present bill, us now wan not the time for doing so. He should
reserve any observations he had to make till lie saw the ar-
rangement contained in the Noble Lord's Bill. He was one of
those who thought that whether Buonaparte was considered as
a sovereign prince, or as a native of France mid prisoner of
war not claimed by that Power, our Government bad a right
to detain hint without any specific Act of Parliament. Ee
trusted, however, he would be treated with all the lenity which
ciremnstances would allow. The time might come when it
would he possible to pot an end to his imprisonment, but that
would bra subject tier future consideration.
Lord Ni els'r wished to know whether Buonaparte was to
be treated an a sovereign prince, or as prisoner of war.
Lord CASTL Lit EAGH said, as a prisoner; but with respect
and lenity.
Mr. GU ENELL I. hoped no amendment to that effect would be
moved by his Hon. Fricod. Indeed, lie was much astonished
at hearing him intimate any And' intention.
Mr. Brim GIIA !V had not declared any intention to move such
an amendment; hi. Hon. Friend bad entirely misunderstood
Lim. All he had said was, that a time might anis a when the slate
of Europe would be such as would render the lurther detention
of this person uonecessarv.
Gen. NIATHUW wislieui to ask the Noble Lord, whether
there was auy intention on the part of this Government to ►cep
Gen. Bertrand and the other officers who were prisoners with
llnonaparte. He could not discos er any right we haul to keep
these gallant men prisoners of tsar, now we were at peace Midi
ell the world. .

The AiMUNE\ (ii:NCRAL thought the Bill sufficiently ex-
plained itself. It was entitled a Bill for !letter securing the
person of Napoleon Buonaparte, and alluded to no other
person.
Mr. fit:elk rye wished to know from the Noble Lord, if there
Willi any intention of detaining these persons, either as prisoner,
of war or otherwise.

Lord CASTIAR LAG H WO, it was not in the contemplation of
Government to keep them.
The Noble Lord's motion was then put, and leave given to
bring in 111!Is accordingly.—Asljuurned ut nine o'clock.

WCIfIirSDAY, MARCII 13.
Several Petitions against the Property Tax and the proposed
Military Establishment were presented, and ordered to lie on
the table.
Mr. Ruhinsi I proposed Resolutions for egnalizing the Duties
on (food', imported and exported from and to America, in
British anil American vessels. Agreed to.
Mr. Guars( presented a Petition from the owners and oecn-
piers of Land in the Comity of Suffolk against the Property
Tax. He was under the necessity of declaring, though that
declaration case him pain, that lie aitlev.d from the Petitioners
re.preting the propriety Of continuing tlti,as, %shish, with nll
its bins upon it+ brad. lie considered us the best, under all the
tire tauces of the times.
C OF THE HOUSE.

On Mr. W. Keene's name being called over, it was found
that the Hon. and Venerable Member was absent; the ques-
t' for his being committed to the custody of the Serjcant at
Alms was then put.
Mr. %t . WNNNE suggested that he should be excused as be-
ing the rather or the 11,m4e.
The SPEAKIII asked it the Itiou. Member would more that
Mr. Keene be excused in that chararter.—(.l laugh.)
Mr. W s NNE then wosa d, that the lion. Member should be
e‘ettsed on account of his ae. --Ordered.
Several other Members, who were absent, were ordered
into custody.

51r. Tiusio EY noosed, that a copy of the Order in Council,
dated the 234 June, 1,415, direct ii, that the salaries of the Sc-
.. etory and Under Secretar) of the .‘tuiralty should be per.
at, during peace and war, should be laid before theHousc.
—Ordered. _ _

Mr llitocon vra presented a Petition against the Property
Tits ; and observed, it was scarcely to he credited, that whits;
the !loose was urging the reduction of the clerks and others in
public ottices, and the setting aside of two of the Lords of thc
Admiralty, lab Majesty's :Ministers were employed in Ineremi-

Inc the salaries of some of the offirets, at least in the Admiralty
Department. The Hon. Member thrnptcreeded to re.,eat his
former ob,ervations on the conduct of his Majesty', AJi os;cl*
in thus employing themselves in augmentation of Mil He; Mid,:
they hail economy and retrenchment in their mout 14; and
whilst they %vele daily urging the necessities of the st re as a
reason fur thrusting upon the people that odious i upost the
Prcperty Tax. He trusted that the House of Commons vim .ld
at length awake to a due regard of i;s own character, and Vince
the Noble Lord and his colleagues to abandon that system of
wasteful extravagance of expenditin v.
Sir li. WARR EADIR asked, if the 11011.4 e was to suspend its
judgment till the Documents should be before the Hom,e„ they
would then find that all which had been dime, had beeu ender
the advice and superintendance of the Revisionist Board of the
Admiralty Department; and he had no doubt but the House
would be satisfied w:th what had been done.

Mr. Ti Ens t.v raid, the Revisional Board of Admiralty had
been established by Lord St. Vincent, for the purpose of le-
form ; but the same Board, it now appeared, coustituted
body intended to overturn all reform.
Mr. BARING thought all ideas of economy were thrown
aside, and the whole business at present going on appeared to
he that of increasing and augmenting salaries.
Lord CASTLERF.AGH only asked, as his Hon. Friend had
done, that the Howie shonlil, fur a short time, suspend its judg-
limatt. If the principle upon which this advance had taken
place was correct, there was nothing in the situation of the
(amain., at pre‘ent, more than there was formerly, which ren-
dered it improper to do so.
Mr. Poxsosinv trusted the Right Hon. Benda is earls.
oation would be more fortunate than that he had given of his
sentiments as they existed at that time on the subject of the
Property Tax. The Noble Lord had talked of clamour raised
by certain persons in and out of the Home. Was this a way
in which the Noble. Lord ought to speak of the Petitions of the
People ; and the unanimous, decided, declared opinion of the
independent part of the House of Commotts? The clamour (if
any existed) was raised by the Noble Lord, and his friends and'
adherents, against the voice of the people, as declared in the
numberless Petitions which had been presented to the House.
Lord CASTLEREAGH thought that he had a right to complain
of the mistepresentations of the Right Hon. Gentleman, in
imputing to bim, that in what he had said on clamour within
the walls of the Howe he had included the Petitioners to the
House, or the Merchants and Bankers of London, and the
country. He would be bold to say, that no man in the House
had a greater rc'peet for the opinion of the most humble in-
dividual] in the country, who might petition the House, than
he had.

Sir J. NrweinT would leave it to the Petitioners to form
their own opinion on the sentiments of the Noble Lord towardv
them. lie would only refer them to the Noble Lord's own
words, who had accused them of au ignorant impatience of
taxation.
Mr. V. Firm rn Pau denied, that his Noble Friend had used
the words mentioned in the way imputed to him ; neither the
manner nor the tone in which they were uttered could have
been fairly construed as intended to insult any, the most hum-
ble iudiv Hear, hear, front &nth sides of the Howse.)
Mr. CHOKER entered into a history of the circumstanced
which led to the appointment of the Board of Revision, at the
Admiralty, under Lot ri Spencer, and stated that the Board had
come to a resolution that the salary of the Secretary should, in
times of peace, be three-fourths what it was in time of war:
This regulation was to have been extended to all other offices,
but, on enquiry, it was tumid impracticable to extend it to any,
and in fact it never was applied to any except to the offices
which he held ; under these circumstances, the Prince Regent,
in Council, considerieg it unjust to the individual to make this.
office an exception to all the others, especially as it was an
office of very considerable labour, made the Order in Council.
which he onderstood the Han. Member for Taunton hail
moved for, placing the Secretary of the Admiralty in the same
situation which the other officers of the Admiralty, Navy, and
Victualling; Offices were.
Mr. "'mines considered this as the most inexpedient time.
which could be chosen, for increasing the salaries of any publie
Officer, unless limier circumstances of the most absolute necee.
sity. His Hon. Friend had given notice of a motion relative to
the salaries of public Officers. He would suggest to him a
paper, which, it lie would move for, would prove most useful
to him in the conduct of the motion—that was, for a return of
the 1111111 her of persons who had given notice of their intention,
to resign, in consequence of the restoration of the peace.—(,L
laugh.)
After a few words from Mr. LnCIMART,
Mr. Biturenast said, it was not to be expected that lies
should answer all the arguments which had been broughi
against him. The time would arrive when the Noble Lord
would be put upon his trial, auu WIICD recrimination would not
avail him. Till that time, be would leave the Noble Lord to
prepare for his defence.
Lord Foss:brims: took occasion to state a grievous case roe
' specting the Property.tax. A Right Hon. Gent. had denonik.
slated the tax as affecting the rich, and not the poor; but he
should shew, that it affected not the rich, but the poor, or rathep
that description of persons just above the class of paupers.—A,
Clergyman, of unblemished character, lately died, without hay.
ing the means of snaking provision for hisf amity. lie left tiee
daughters, well educated, but destitute of support ; their case
attracted the attention of some respectable Gentlemen in the,
neighbourhood of their late father's residence, and they subs,
' scribed a sum sufficient to purchase an annuity of 401. Whe•
11 this annuity came to be paid, the agent deducted 41. for the
Property-tax ; and, on a remonstrance being made by their
friends, the y oting Ladies were referred for redress to the Com.
inissioners of the Tax Office ; the state of their case was fop.
warded accordingly, anti it lay four mouths at the Office no.
answered. At lei:eth a eireiffix letter was addressed to the
County Connuissiouer, under the Act, Ntatinz, " that du ir Qt.
unity was not within the meaning of the Act." The Nob's,
Lord observed, that here was a plain refutation of the Right
Hon. Gentleman's assertion, that the tits would not press IA
persons haslet: incomes 'miler .101. per annum. These Ladled
had Leen deluded of their property : and ti. to them was a ses
hilts hiss. He might be told of mrnlitie..tious ; but the publie
would get no good from them—the sillegatiiris against it, al
beine, unjust and inquisitorial, were correct: tor if you guard-
ed against the injustice, you then made•. it inquisitorial.
Mr. VANKITTAIIT admitted the eil•C Just stated by the Nold
Lord ought to lime been relies eel but without enquiry sir
the circumstances, he could not say any thing further.
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.