The National Register.
London, England, 1816-05-13 00:00:00

IN;

taxes than were WereSSitry ; but that they Warily t%atet.eil the
expeinliture of the publ:c money. He him ever ii.hcd itli-
tri.ters would undertake that curtailment and retrenchment
which weir practicaUe ; because front their know ledge of the
sletail. of mike they were triter gush& d for stick task. Ma-
-111 (Acts might be abolished -others might be retteneheA—
and to see what (.0111(1 he untie, as well as Whig bad been,
was the oljeet of his motion.
'fins gave rise to a long and animated debate, which termi•
listed in the rejection of the measure t there being, ou a (Lei.
stun, 1•;ti fur the motion, and Iti9 against it.

WEVIIIE4II Y, MAY M.
Sir ASII.:EL ROMILL 1 gave notice of a motion for Toesday
seNt, on the situation of the Protestants in the South of France.
.Mr (:c w Ell. in moving for the production of certain papers
'chair:• to the subject of tythes, wished to explain to the House
that he hail ulterior objects in view. lis the numerous peti-
tions lately presented to the House on the Agi icultnral 11/is.
tresses, there was scarcely one in which the Petitioners did
out complain of tithes, and prayed for a commutation. There
was nu class in the Collllllllllity which had lin direct an interest
as the Clergy themselves in the commutation of tithes ; and it
was to be regretted that any discussions Klima!' ilaVe I,nd the
siker of en sting an alarm fu that 'oody. It could never be
intended, not to give the lithe-holders of Myr). description a
rem 1111 l .ration. lie slid not mean, Imayever, to bring lhe
eivat question of commutation at present before the House.
Tim fit st motion strict he should submit would bring to view
the conduct of the Courts of Equity, which had assumed to
themselves for a course of yeal*the power of directly deeirlite:
du mentos of tithes. Ile cooreived this was contrary to the
law of the hold and tile principles of the British Constitution.
•Ir tithe causes had come before Juries, a number of articles
would never hat e been made tithes ble ; pine-apples for instance,
winch were no more the proshirthat of the earth than the web
Cf the meant:arta rer. .It was high time to restore tithes to the
trial by Jury, that a pniper security might be' Mho-sled to the
subject. At this moment there were BM tithe causes depend-
in the Court of Esehegiter. The papers moved for were
entries!. _ _

A m•w writ was ordered fur Warwick, in the room of Lord
'Brook, How Earl of Warwick.
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

Mr. BROUGHAM, at the conclusion of a very able speech, in
:the course of which he complimented the attorney-general, on
'hi, having forboine to file es-officio infolnations, moved foe
_leave to bring in a bill for the better securing the Liberty of
the Press.— First, To aboli-li the distinction between written
. and avert libel, and oral spoken slander; it being well known,
that at present words which were not actionable when spoken,
:only because so when put on paper, or were published. Se-
.-condly, To allow the cognizance or non cognizance of the de-
fendant, under whose ostensible authority the libel issued, to
be put in evidence on his trial. Lastly, To allow evidence of
the truth of alledged libel to be laid before the jury, Pith the
view of modifying their decision. The lion. Gent, also meant
to make a provision. that the defendant Amnia give Wire to the
"prosecutor, that, when put on trial, he intended to of proof
to establish his statements. the Attorney-General (Sir W.
Garrow ) would not oppose the introduction of the bill; but
be entered his protest against the principle of staking alter-
ation on any of the points uf law alluded to. He w ouki here-
after fully ex: lain his scntinumts when the sub:roc was before
the House. The power of fil:ag ex-officio intinuatinnf. which
the Learned Gentleman would propose to abolish. ought to re-
main vested with government. Ile (Sir %V. Garrow) had
always nettle it his principle never to hunt out cases fur prose-
cution; but he had, on the contiary, resisted merr: ietlitma-
tions he hail got, and lie had uniformly studied rather to lessen
than to multiply them. lie hid always put this question to
him-elf, Could I, if I were a Grand Juryman, to illy say, on
my oath, that this was a plotter subject for sending to a
tuon Jury ?" and on that question he had uniformly acted, as
he had no doubt the House would believe him to have dune,
(1:e .r, hear.) Leave--was given to bring in the Bill.
Till RSOAY, MAY 9.

The Committee on the distressed state of agriculture was
postponed till to.mor:.ov
A number of petitions were presented against the Publicans'
Licence Duty, against the Leather Tax, and against the pre-
sent Distillery Laws.
Mr. A AxsuTr.leT, in reply to a question from!Lord Stanley,
whether hoit-t formeily dwelling-houses, but i w used
as mantifac'ories, were liable to he taxed us dwelliog-houses?
said, he had no hesitation in stating that such houses did not
. come within the meaning of the Act.—( Hear, :Ica:Oran)