The National Register.
London, England, 1817-03-17 00:00:00

MARCH 17.

hereafter be further stuns to be provided for; at present. he
should propose to take 411 account, towards the service of the
present year, 18,000,0001. Lxchequer Balk
me. Mir said, that the Right Hon. nentleman had ex-
pressed his regret ft eqtiently at that iss i 4 pitons and burthen-
sloue impost, the Income Tax, baving.been given up. He
(Mr. Sharp) trusted the country would be on the alert, and
not suffer any new Parliament to be elected shish should
afford anx chance of its revisal.
The Resolution for granting is millions in Exchequer Bills
was then agreed to.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
Lord SEIFTon said, he held in his hand a Petition from Li-
X'erpool, in favour of Parliamentary Reform, signed by up-
wards of 11,000 persons, many of whom were known to him
as being most respectable, and some of them lie had the
honour of ranking among his particular friends.
Mr. 111.:( II bore his testimony to the respectability of the
media; at which this Petition was agreed to, which wits or-
dered to be received.

Mr. CANNING observed, that the Petition did not preten3
to he a Petition from Liverpool, but from certain iohabitants
of that town. He understood, that out of the 14,000
signa-
tures, the greater number were of thu softer sex, and oSsers
of a very tender age.
'Die Petition was then ordered to lie on the table.
THE EVANS'S.
Mr. fir.gyETT then rose to move for a room ofthc number
of persons confiued in Coldbnth•felds Pi kola Glider the %cis
of the 3utli and loth of the King. When he formerly brought
this subject forward, be stated what he had b:•eu ionirmed o,
as related to the state and treatment of the Evaus's. lie then
stated what he knew, only on hearsay. He had sinee that
time been to the prison, and f.,und his informat 'ion Wit* cor-
rect. The elder E.. ans was confined with •nutt a per .on as
he had formerly described ; and the younger FALIGS was iu the
foul ward.

Mr. lisTurasT, in reply, wished to know from the Hon.
Gentleman, whether the elder Evans wit* not in the state
iyartinent, and whether Evans had not I ' self requested to
have the person with I • , whom the lion. Gentleman had
described as an informer and thief? And whither the elder
Evans had not said, this person appeared to be a decent man,
and that he had a pleasure in his cormotuv ? With re poet to
the younger Evan., he put it to the lion. i.itastleman whether.
though the apartment in which lie was confined was called
the Infirm try, it was put the best and most airy of any room
in the prison; and whether it was at prevent occupied by- ii
single porn, except the person in question ; and whether
lie was not told by Evans himself, that lie hail the privilege
of walking for hoots iti the day in the Governor's ;ardent
AM] Whether the young man slid not himself say he was per.
fectly satisfied with his treatment? The lion. fislulleinait
ought, in candour, to have stated these facts to the House.
Mr. fit y ShTT said, he had nut invented the farts which he
had state I to the House, or had lie invented nmes: he was
told the place where young Evans was confined Waseaßed the
Foul ; and he was told that the elder Evans was matte
the companion of a thief. If the eller Evans liked Lis (Nom.
pinion, that was Ids own collects niiiely made a Mall ac-
quainted with stiange friends. But he, as a plihrie men, had
a duty to pct form, which Vaned tilt hint to sae, that to confine
two persons lor high ts cask!), one vuttt mile thief as his com-
panion, and the other with five or *ix, was a circuinstanen
unprecedented.
The motion was then agreed tn.
REFORM PETITION,
Sir I'. Ilunut:TT moved the Order of the Day for resuming
the adjourned dehate oil the Refinmi Petitions.
The SPEAKER said, lie hail exaiumeil the 527 PeUtimts ;one
had no names; two h til no 1,41111 on the salne plrCe of p p, r
wish the Petition itself; 28 the same words as tli6
Pet:114111S rejeCted on the 29th of January ; 46* were printed ;
II were the same as the Petition from Ittlitav ; mid fear
from another place ; making 5'..!7. The titst question to be
put would be on that with mm native.

011 the question being put, that this Pt tit ion be read, it was.
rejected; as were the two which had ❑o names on the sa:ue
skin.

'I lie ne‘t question was on the Vs Pt t:thdis worded the .anis
as that which, on the :Altli 01 JantiiaQ aa, Itjectcd, Us dis-
respectful to the douse.

Sir F. livanurT contended, that these ought to be received.
It vras impossible, with the knowledge wlueh the bah
of ►he pi retires %shich had existed in tin• House, that 11,. y
should ask fur a reform of those practices without using strong
I inguage of indignation, and that language might always be
construed as disrespectful to the House. He thought some
rule should now be laid down ; but what that rule should be,
he was at a loss to say, as different ( i,otlemen formed
ferent opinions of what was and what was not disrespectful
language, If the objection was, that the House did tent pro_
!icily represent the people, he was afraid no Petition for Re-
form would be received.

Mr. W. WYN E said, he hal objected t 3 a similar Petition
to these, because the Petitioners new out of their wily U.
throw abuse and contempt on that House.
Sir G. lltaxnetere said, the House treate.l the peep, r f
England With contempt ; fur most of the Alembers had retired:
coolly to discuss their dinners, instead of discussing 300 Pe-
titions front the people.
Mr. It ti nu use denied that the House was neglectful of the
interests of the people ; for it was known to alt, in and out of
the House, that SOO of the Petitions were printed, aunt could
not he reeeited. The Petitioners might again bring the
same grievances before the House in an unexceptiutiable
shape.
The Petitions were then rejected, without a division. .
The SPE.tt.t'u said, the nest class regarded Itin printed
Petitions ; and the question nas, that they be then read.
Mr. W. WINNI: was astonished that the Hon. Baronet
womil persis: i I bringing up such Petitions, when lie knew
that it had been fregnently determined that the House wonlit
not recei CC pruned Petitions. Ile noised that these 42:S Pe-
titions should be rejected. Ile should have expected that the
Hon. Baronet would has c told the Petitioners, " Present your
Petitions iet a regatar way, and I will support them." 'flute
would have been the propyr duly of a Member of Parliament.
Air F. BUR DLTT felt, that, icitwitlistandiog all that had
IH.CII said, the cause itselfstood upon very strong grounds. He
contended, that this was only a rule ut the douse as to pri-
vate petitoms, 4114 slid lint apply to petitions ag.iiiist what
the people of England and he called the corrupt slate of that
House. This was a rule—u nik standing order of the House
nuts like every other rule, 'nicht be one' d at pleasure by
the House. Besides, the ride did init apply .o printed lint
to private petitions. 'Flu: iiiijeeti.:o to reeds, Mg these pe-
titions could not well stand on il
if these petitions were rejected. it would b a ;wore-ding in
direct contravention of the Bill of Rights, :mil the t .yortaut
right of petitioning. Written petitions we', to o'ijec-
Om, 'a Inch printed petitions were oat subject to; they wave

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