The National Register.
London, England, 1818-06-07 00:00:00

TUINIIAY.

Mr. J. SMITH moved the second reading of the Bankrupt
Laws Amendment Lill.
Mr. kVaorre.sLev said, that the sum of 30,0001. had been
judged sufficient for the erection of a proper building for the
Commissioners of Bankrupts; should a Committee be appoint-
ed, the accommodation would probably be better and at hs f
the expense.
The Bill was then, after a few words from Mr. SMITH, read
a second time, committed, repored, anti the Report ordered
to be taken into further consideration that day three months,
and to be printed.
Sir F. 13unnrur presented a Pctition :rom Loughborough,
in favour of Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage. The
Petitioners, he stated, to be chiefly old people; the age of one
being 79, of another lit, and of the youngest 54. He. also pre.
sented 12 Petitions from Lancashire, eight from Edinburgh,
20 from Birmingham:, eight from Dundee, 30 from Middlesex,
one from London, 25 from Westminster, three from Warwick,
and 54 from Mary-la-bonne; containing the same prayer.
.Lord COCHRA sin then presented 39 Petitions from Leeds,
43 from Bridgewater, and 39 from Purtscanth, praying for
a radical Reform, Annual Parliaments, and Universal Suf-
frage.—Laid on the Table.
Mr. La viler° N stated, that not being in his place when the
Petition from the City of. London bad been presented upon
the subject of the equalization of the Duty on Coals, he gave
notice that next session he should move that the Duty on
Coals, whether carried by canals or by sea, should be equal.
ised.

..s.„.
REFORM OF PARLIAMEIaiT.
Sir. P. BURDETT stated, that in rising pursuant to the no.
lice he had given, hi should submit. a Motion to the House, in
itself agreeable to all the. notions of common justice, and coo-
nected with all those principles of the Constitution that had
exalted this country to so MO a rank atnatm the nations of
Europe. He would indeed wiliincly suppose that the Motion
was of such a nature that it could hardy be objected to by
any man, who was capable of compt ehentheg ite object. The
pi in_iples upon winch the Motion was founded, were not
drawn from the actual reavonera, nor from Mil political
writers but be had limited himself to one source,. and that was
the authority of the person fillies r: the high( at official station
in the country, as appeared in the spveche3 from the Throne,
professing those prioeipb.,:i that he wished rarnrst ly to impress
upon the House. It lead always appeared to him that the in-
terest of the King and the people, when uropetly '.uiderstood,
• •own forAeo

it' N E S.

---
meta. The resohetions he intended to move wield beahooght
long, but they would not he found too long, not hell My been
ally attired itlo a due consideration of the simjitel, dial, as
far as t ltlhol ity we'd, %vomit be foetid uutletneillt., a lilt sub.
jeet appeared to him to be so plain, that lie w at at a loss what
wens of illustre:ton to employ, as the subject scented to hici
to call fur universal assent. The Han. Iterunet, in a long or-
, nuniellt. halving proved that mint el Pat itanients were no inuo-
' vation, tied suffrage was, and ought to lie more universal,
having *tried the subject upon the eqiiit.iti.e principle ut
the tilli VW al In that week' result tiom ref elm, hoped
it would not be nlb ji etc.! to him that lie advocated pi inciples
of anarchy, or oleo unattainable and v WI/1401V pet ttetiOU.--
If tilt It was the emir, at least he supported (mill pi isiciples in
good company, in come:thy with men whose Integrity and ta-
lent onela to be suffiei eta to protect him at least against the
imputation of evil designs. Hat Menu either woh but to place
this iptestion on the ground of reasoti, he would now proceed
to 'der-eottie resolutions upon it. The Huuuertible Jimmied
having then read a string of* resolutions,
Lord Cocoons g rose to second the resolutions. After what
he had seen take plate., on su many ceeasioue, iu the House.
on the subject uf Retie in. he could nut have any sanguine
eeitectations as to the t t snit of the resolutioni hal' Isis
Hum Friend had submitted. 'They would,how'tte f, hate this
good effect, that they would ttat It the people whet it am for
which they eerie to petition. He would not on the present
occaidese say, that the House was influenced iu its decisioas
by particular motitem,such as the power of Ministers, or that
interest which they possessed, of smikipe places the reward
of votes in a certain way that would not be parliamentary for
hint to express I but, if Hon. llembers dunked te whet was
done in former times. if they looked beef., not ouly to the
abuses of pewee- which had been committed under the sane.
tiuu of the Rouen' Senate, but even to those acts which had
been authorised by the bodies canine themselves representa-
tive in this come ry, at other put Audi, and compared them with
the acts of the present representative b eiy, they would out
t believe that our encestois nor their ancient predecessors
were the only persons who-were to be /keened fur their acts.
They would, on the contrary, think that tile smaller faith lay
with the former ; fur the greater the trust reposed in any bo-
dy, the greater was their crime in aliesieg that trust, as the
willing 'Minister* of a despotic government haul less to answer
fur their conduct than they %oho pretended to net as the
agents of a free peoyle. He rave cis geoerel and unequie
vocal assent-to lie resolutions proposed by the Hun. Baronet.
They' were, in his opinion,'such as the lloese oneht to re-
ceive and agree to ;and here. as probably it might be the last
(hue he .hood] ever have elle honour of addressing the Home
oil any suleject—(Here thr Noble Lord ailed tears and ap-
peared so oe erpowered by • his feelings as not to be able to
proceed ha some beconals.l—As this, he contireted, might be
the 14st time he eliwild have the honour of addressing the
House, he was anxious to state to them what his opinions
were of their conduct. It was now nearly eleven yen's since
Ise Lad the houour of a seat tu the House, and :Once then there
were very fed net:. of tie its in which lie could ;serer with the
opinions of the neijuitty. To say that these .Acts se voted
wet ecoutrare to jutseee, nook! slot be partialtieutery in him.
Ile would not eta it go into the inquire whether they-tended
to the national reed or not ; but he would merely appeal to
the feelings of the landholder; present--he would appeal to
the knowledge of those alemhers who were enlisted in COW_
hit lel', WWI ask them, ie 'tether the Acts of the Legisletivit
Body were rut of it description, during the late war, that
would, it not for the timely intervention of the use of machi-
nery, have bent tine nation to total ruin? 'file country was
hurtle nod to a mate, which, but for that ieterventieu, it
would have been impossible fur the people to hear. The
cause of these measuree having such an efiect upon the coun-
try, was examined, and the ce gone into by the resolu-
tions of his Hon. LIIIIC3 411 C. They wide to he traced, as had
been so well observed, to dial patronage and influence which
a number of powerful indlviiiiiatiepossessed over the nomi-
nation of a great number of the Members of that House ; a
powerahsich,devolving on a few, became thereby the niore
liable to be elected by the itifluence of the Crown; and
whit:lilted, in fact, been rendered almost entirely snb'ervicnt
to that influence. To reform the abases which arose out of
thin system was the object of his Hon. Friend's Motion. He
would not, he could not anticipate the sneeess of that Motiou;
but lie should say, as had been betore eaia by the great
Chatham, the father of Mr. Pitt, that if the House did not re-
form itself from within; It would be reformed with a vengeance
from without. The people would take the subject up, anal
a reform would take place which would make many Mem-
bers regret their apathy in refusing that reform which Might
be rendered efficient and permanent. But uufertuuately is
the' present state of the House, in its present formation, it
appeared to him, that from within no returns could be expect-
ed ; and for the truths of this he appealed to the experience
of nearly 100 Members who were then present, nearly edo
being absent ; he appealed to their experience, whether they
ever knew of any .one instance where :tile, petition of din
people tOr reform was taken into consideration, or any re-
dress afforded in consequence of such petition? This he
regretted, because lie foresaw the consequence which woald
necessarily result from it. He trusted and hoped, that Mem-
bers would see in time the necessity of adopting some step
towards regaining the confidence of the people, which they
hail, he conueived, entirely lost, for unless they did so, they
would have, he believed, occasion to repent it when it would
be too late. L Here the Noble Lord's- utterance wet *treat
eltoaked for a time, and lie again gave way to tears.] He Liao,
he observed; no interest in making time observations, But
that of the country. What -lie said was dictated by cousei-
entions feeling. He was filly convinced of a great evil in
the State, and lie wished to ere it remedied, in order that the
consequences which be believed would result from its cool-
nuance might be avoided. He had for mote than ten years
the honour of a seat in the House, and he felt do rely tile
confidence which was reposed in bins by the electors of
Westminster, not only in giving him a seat in the Huuse, but,
because on a late occasion it sewed their feelings of abhor-
rence of the foul and horrible conspiracy which had beets
raised against him. [acre again the Noble Lord was pre-
vented front going on for some seconds by an etineion of
tears.]—He begged to be undeistood as not wishing on the
present occasion to cast any aspersions upon his Majesty's
Ministers. he was unwilling now to speak with awes ay of
any of them; but he begged that they might take warning in
time. He hoped they would see the impropliety of the
coarse they had so long pursued, and give it up, before it wee
too late fur themselves and the country. They yet had it In
their power to do away a part of the evil which they had
created e his caution to them was, that they should do it In
time.

• .• mthiezhair.

JUNE 8.

which had produced the resolutions before the House; but he
differed from the opinions expressed in those resolutions, with
revert to univer;al sittfraze and annual Parliaments. The
Hon. Member, in a luminous speech, proceeded to reply to
the arguments used by fir F. Borden, and concluded by ob-
serving, that he who attempted to eradicate every et il of the
Constitution at once, was equally unworthy to bring about
Reform, as be who should state that uo Reform was neces-
sary. _ _ _

Mr. CA mama observed, that he ski.d.'3,before he sat down,
move for the other Orders of the Day. He was against all
Reform, awl for this reason, that he saw each demand was
telly a preliminary step to another and more serious demand.
It: proposing Parliamentary Reform there were two modes to
be adopted, either to carry back the constitution to sonic for-
Mier period when it was in its most flourishing state, or else to
re•ceustruct it altogether. If the first of these was to be
adopted, let the iperiod when the Constitutian was in a more
rotirishing state be named ; if the second, let the principles
of re.construction be stated to the House.—(Hear, hear l)—
Many arguments had been used on the subject without its
having been stated which of these or what other plac of Re-
form it was intended to adopt. When annual Patl:aments
were used, the Constitution of the country seas emir:4v dif-
ferent Iron what it now was ; there was then bet a small ter-
ewe./ to legisfate foroviiereae they had now to govern an ex-
tensive empire; and if the errors of that Constitutionwere not
pointed out, and such measures as the present were adopted,
tfey would be thrown on a wide field of theory to find a new
Constitution, and on this ground it was that the Htdt. Baronet
called upon the House to concur with him. It such was not
the casit,why was the present Motion made ? He thanked the
Hon. Baronet for having at lengthkrought under their notice,
in a tangible shape, a subject which had been much talked
of, but the objects of which had not been fully defined until
now. There conid de no danger anticipated front the spe-
cific plan of Reform, the danger was from having a set of de.
claimers going about without puilitim.; out what real Reform
they wished. Let any man come with his plan of Reform in
his hand, and be w•ss convinedill that it would not stand a
moment's competition. It' any Hon. Member believed that
tee Hon. Meinl:er's Mution was practicable heliad a right to
li:den to it; if any one believed that it ought to be carried
into erect, he leid a right to support it ; but as be was con-
vtaced that no such Motion ought to be entertained, and that
the public mind might not to be put into a ferment ou the
subject, lie should move," That the Orders of the Day he
row read."

On the qnestion being ref from the Chair,
Mr. Lana would not, after the able discussion which the
et:bject had received, trespass long on the attention: or the
Muse, but there riere several points on which he was anxious
that the House should know his opinion. He agreed with
the Hon. Baronet t!iat no ridicule ought to he thrown on
r enion* holding the doctrine of the. necessity of Parliamentary
Reform, for it was evident from the numerous Petitions be-
fore the House, that each opinions were held hy many, al-
though he deeply regretted that in consequence of the ex'
pressions of several Petitions the valuable right of Petition-
ing was in souse measure about to fall into disrepute.
Uni-
Versal sutleage wits impossthle, fur it could not exist in ho-
ronghs, as the persons who were to elect there were partici,_
lar individual., which wail inconsistent with such doctrine,
and it was evident that universal sulfrag,ts could nut exist in
counties. Annual Pat 'laments never were the practscal Con•
atitution of this country, for although in the reign of Edward
111. it was enacted that Parliantent should annually be
bidden. vet in the same reign no Parliament was assembled
for a period of twenty-one years. Parliament was assem-
bled, when the exigiencesof the State requires' its at Imola nee,
but not until the Hew-donut' was it determined that Parlia-
ment should annually be assembled. The wise and teamed
men, who brought forward this measure, slid not enact that
Parliament should be independent of the Kin:, but that in
ease of the King neglecting or refusing to assemble Pat ha_
mein, meaao es should be adopted for its ass.wnliue. Ile
slid not doubt tlatt the Homan-auk Baronet brought furwii.,l
iris measure front a persuasion of its utility to the country.
but there were many other individnals who interested than
selves its this measure, men of great knowiege of the vat ions
springs of human actions, of deep reasoning, who wisbeil to
throw the whole fahrie of the monarchy into ruins, that they
ntight fly with eclat on the fragments. nom them and from
their machinations, dangers were to be feared.
I'4r. W. SMITH exprosavl his conviction tlett the discussion
would prove eventually useful, inasmuch as it mild lead to
the consideration of the matter, and from considerations to
the most beneficial remits. _ _ .

Sir P. BURDETT replied at considerable length. •
The House divided on :Ur. .Notion—Ayes 10G—
Nots none.
Lord CoccrnAser presented a Petition from Win. Cobbett,
of which the Clerk read a considerable port.
Mr. FAZ ttirit I.Y then moved that the House be counted,
-,,chen there not being forty AI cm!) er3 prestat, an roljourn-
merit necessarily took place.

EDN ESDAY.
'The Innkeepers' Allowance 'still was passed.
1.0N1)./N
Mr. I.OOKIIAII T presented the R.l Oct r.f the Brewer'Cernmittee,
Lai said, tat aftiir inquiring** far a 4 six y.:ars previous to the date
cf the Pctiticn. thy were satidied that the II great lireweis used
:.othing deleterious orillczal. He said that evidence hail been givt.n
th.it both deleterious and illegal inixtotte..w were soli to the pahLiians,
together with books of instruction for the nee of them. The Com-
mittee also considered the price at which l'orter was now sold as a
fair one, when the expcnasi of the brewers were considcr.d. With
respect to public-houses, of which brewers arc proprietors. the Corn-
antec did not think it wculd be proper to iliteriere with tho:r.
item now aliz.olute property ; but rcoonmentied that the
should refuse licenses to Al! houses which :mould in ;titure
to have become brewer..' property.
WEST INtm,k ri.AvEs.
Sir S. ROIIIII.L T said. that the barbarity tta,ed in the Papers laid
before the Iloutte, al transaetons in the West Indies, were not of
s, much importance as the ft:r....rsiort of crUninal justice diThlyed
them. Ire men described t,ie ecutli of a runa.vay bial'e, who was
lielrged, chained to another, who had be2ntio.,.;:ecd also, and nett day
tent to wool., so chatucd ; he fell down,atl:l was Ucaten until he died,
by comnialid of toe tiut.isiger named HawlMs. The body was 'Otte
:toed, Lut dug up tor a ciEuner's inques. &Litz iiiriierins examined
the body, stal stated the aiiincrous wounds and bruises on it. Toe
The Jury, nevertheless, found a vertlkt of--Diall by the Visitation
vf Gal! One of the drivers was trust for the mud:: and the
slave to whom the di:ceased was chtemerl, at first proved that
lings was not present; but on his cries ey.aminatien he semi ins', that
Hawkers drove the pang of ,lava with the whip ai:.lf :us hour.
RuKlia , ereyinan, earl this bratte.ht trial;
only of mar.dauglivir. for tie Keg ‘4OOl, anti o:Jer.::
be nuprisontd tree months. *lberia 1,,+t..4 %vits sutticient
the corruption In life cuttr.re of crini.s4l josti in etc `X est Ineirs,
•'se bow could the COVellee4 or the l'•ait Juri:,*retitni v•irilicts '
tier Os a:1 ..wattitte.l e 771.. if it li••-•-• •

_. ' •,an

THE NATIONAL. REGISTER.

laughter. the sentence was too light fur such atrocious conduct.
He their mores/ fin copies of the depositions taken bdure the Coroner
oa the body of this slave, who was killed in theisland of St. Chris-
Air. HARR VAT said, that the Honourable and Learned Gentleman
had, from the case of a single slaw, c!rawn conelnsions against the
whole atimioistratior of justice in the West Indies. The crime of
running away must be punished, at the same time the punishment
should be proportioned to the strength. It was proved that this slave
was beaten with a stick ; t,at neither the manager, nor overseer. were
present when this slave was punished, nor was he beaten on the
ground, neither did he express any violent sensation of pain. The
manager did not order ;nail* be flogged ; and if he had, he could not
have been guilty of murder, as it would have been impossible to
have proved malice aforethought.
Mr. GOCT.IiVeN had no objection to the production of the papers
Mr. A. GRANT read a letter, Pit which it was said, that not a man
in ths: calony wished to screen Rawlins from the punishment of
dead!, except his own family.
Mr. W. SMITH said, the punishment of Negroes in the West
Indite was called cart-whipping. Upon a future occasion he should
chew that they punishments were too common. If the facts that
had come to this country had been all made known, some persons
who now hold their heads high in colonial legislation would not know
where to hide them.

Mr. WILBERFORCE said, the other cases of horrible atrocity
would soon he brotqlit betbre the House. If it were not for the no-
tice token of these barbarities in this country, the authors and actors
of them would nevet be brought to trial. and deierved punishment.
He had been informed that this Rawlins went co in a most im-
proper way in the jail, receiving friends, Ax. lk hoped this man
would be impended from Holy Orders.
Sir S. Rn sti LLY replied, and the motion was agreol to.
A long debate took place on a Motion of Mr. Brougham for a
Royal Commission to enquire into Abuses in Charitable Donations;
which was negatived on a division of 29 to 54.
The other orders were disposed ef, and the House adjourned till
Friday.

Tl:rnAr.,

Mr. BENWET presented a Petition from 'Phomas Rase, an inhabi-
tant of New South Wales, complaining of the conduct of the Go-
vernor Nlr.equarrie, who deprived him of his license ; and another
from three ouzo inhabitants of the same Colony, complainiug of
the inflictioa of Corroral Punishment on them by the Governor—.
Laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.

• roLicE,
Mr. BENNF.T, or presenting the Report of the Police Committee,.l
embraced the opportunity of eallir,g the attention of the House to
the cLassific.ition or prisoners, ronfined in the prisons of the metropolis.
The Home should consider their situation, and in particular that of
Cold litiCt fields, its which the Ma#strates had not, during seven
yenrs, made any written regulations. 'the Committee thought the
situation of many of the unforttinaee parsons truly lamentable, whe,
:tier leaving the gaol in which they received food and a place of
slicker, resrmbling the lazarnni of Naples, were forced, not by want
of disposition to labour, butby want of means, to ro4ni li;te wretches,
witneut sup part, except a hat they derived froto the charitable institu-
tions which private generosit established and conducted. and who,
from theptesstre of severe want, frequently committed erirrou which
they abhorred. The Committee had siher received evidence respecting
the utility of tat: Snfiictior. of capital punishment. as well as of
transportation. The number of persons who had been censored
from this kingdom to theoolony whereconviets were obliged to labour,
was 5106, of which 1916 were condemned to be tratrported for seven
years only. The costs for the removal of coneitai, had, iiincc 1798,
exceeded four millions. It was to him a subject of deep regret, to
behold the necessity of punishment increazing. To another im-
portant !vitt% the situation of the domestic police, he wished the
House should attend; for it appeared before the Committee, that the
office of constable was frequently executed by deputy, which im-
proper practice was productive of the grosest corruption, and most
flagrant breaches of the laws. These depoticibeic.ig not well paid,
should am be tulorated in deriving profit from the ignorant anti the
unwary, whom they deluded when opportunity was favourable.
Ile hoped the House would next year, without being influenced
eialier by prejudice or pa lion, take the subject of licensing into
consideration, and by devising some adequatomeans, prevent many
youths who fee- uent these iniptoper places, from proceeding in the
paths of wickedness, until they Leached the height of crimes. The
Committee had laboured much in the investigation of these niatters,
and he hoped their labour would be attended with beneficial results.
He therefore moved that the report be printed.
Ceiteral Tune:al-0N thought that the House of Correction was
sufficient, if well regulated, to support itself, front the prodeav of
the labour of the con•sicts. In consequence of the bad measures
adopted by Governor .kais, the institution had 'seen injured, hut he
trusted. front the good measures of the present Governor, that it
would her...iier prove of great utility.-1 he Report war_; ordered to
be minced.
The ATTORNEY GehI:RAT. gave notice, that it was his intention
at an early period of the next Session, to lying the Insolvent Deb:-
ors' Act ureter the consideration of tlie House.
LORD STEWART'S ENIOLUMENT.

Mr. 1111.0t‘111A3, on seeing a Noble Lord in his piece, was desir-
ous of asking a question, which he begged to assure the Noble Lord
and the House, originated not from any enmity, but from a spirit of
candour. The question to which lie hoped for MI answer, related to
the brother of the Noble Lord. who had, in wit affidavit filed in a
Court of.lustice. stated, that he waspossessed of au income of 12,170, il.
per annum, as Ambassador to the Court of Vienna, and of 1.0001.
a year more as Lord a the Bed Chamber. The two situations seemed
to hint incompatible ; for although the time which he dedicated to hia
arrsirs during the late absence in this country did not exceed the usual
time. it was evident that he could not fill that of Lord of the Bed
Chamber, %illicit was requisite for the splendor and dignity of the
Crown, and at the temie time perform lih; duties at Viteen.
Lod CASTLEREAbH v as certain that on motives triter than those
of pub.ic elfare influenced the Hon. and Learned Member in pro-
tueang this question. fly the regulations of diplomatic services, the
secretary to the Embassy, who perforn aid the duties during the ab-
sence of the Autlizireador. true always reutpnerated from the Falai., of
the bitter. In the particular ease to whicl he alluded, the Emperor
had eniounced his Intentioned ankh ig a tour through his dominions,
and stated, that the ett.aidance of the diplomatic laxly would be di;-
p.msed with. In relation to the situation as Lord of the Bed Chamber,
he was not aware of the necessity of its being vacated in consequence
of the reTcptance of any other situation. There were rwiny situations
of a similar deferiptim, which lad escaped the vii.;;lance of the
Le:ailed Gentleman ; he would therefore leave the Houck to judge of
the rt!il6olis which caused the present Motion.
Mr. Il non G iIAM said fie was not acquainted with similar si
tuations. The or;gin of toe present Motion was in the affidavit filed
' in the Court of Chancery, aad'u was In hopes of an elucidation he had
asked the question.