The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-28 00:00:00

MAASION ROUSE.

Un Thursday a meeting of merchants and tradesmen
took place at the Egyptian flail, for the purpose Of vettit-
oning Parliament against the removal of the Meetings of
the Commissioners of Bankruptcy from Guildhall.
The Lord Mayor took the chair at a little after one.
Mr. Hicks stated, that the subject being one on
which there was a general knowledge as well as feeling
amongst the citizens, he should du no more than pro-
pose certain resolutions for their adoption.
Mr. Teddy seconded the resolutions, which were.
after sonic observations, agreed to unanimously.
Alderman Waitliman said, the removal was so pre-
posterous a measure, that he could not think it possible
fur any man to think seriously of proiwsing it. The.
Guildhall was in the very heart and centre of the City.
convenient for all persons residing in the Metropolis.
and to all who should come to it to transact bustnes:.
Ills principal object in addressing the meeting was, 1,1
int'oriti them that there nes a Hill in Parliament on the
sultjr3 of the Bankrupt Laws, which, though it con.
taint d many salutary things, and might he made of great
general utility, had one insurmountable obstacle to the,
possibility of eatisiiig gencrii satisfaction. It proposal
to give 5001. per annum to each of 70 Commis►iouers ;
to constitute 14 separate courts, to which there must of
course be 14 separate chanibers—a regulation to Ise at-
tended with no less expence than 36,000. a year, to be
taken out of the dilapidated estates of the bankrupts.
Sonic very convenient sinecures woold thus spring up;
several young fellows whose parents were too proud° to
put them to trades, or old men who were able to do
nothing, might be thus very comfortably accommodatetl;
for the duty would certainly devolve upon very few.
lie should wish to see tin• appointment of a few respect-
able individti ils in the duties of so important a nature.
with good salaries, which would enable them to give
op all other business. (applause.) Set en Commissioners,
selected boil the body, he was of opiiinni, would be
fully adequate to do jwiice to the puidic. There was
one other observation which he had to make—legal men
were generally very had accomptatits. It would be ex-
tremely desiraule to have amongst the Commissioners
one commercial Mali, who had never been a bankrupt,
tins ever compounded with his creditors, and who would
devote his whole attention to the subject.
Alderman NVcod objected to the proposed removal.
It was no:lting but a job. I'aruival's iru was proposal
for that purpose--it way titled Out for that iltlrVOSe. If
the Commissioners were to hold their meetings there,
the neiguboni hood to Chancery would increase the dab..
cii:tv of get:ll:g then' to attend their bminvss.
Alderman \ mau, A Merman "I hum, Alderman
11e);tate. and 1.1 r. Wilson, said limy should oppose the
remota! in Parliailielit. _

..... .
Mr. Petoe, the proprietor or Fornit al's-inn, denied
that the I.tdness was a job. lie kid, tie said, had .we
continuo ication with any person on the ,Wtfect of op.
applying the son, to the
_purpose allude E to, and it was
by to. niCans tided out fur that purprw. 'Thert bad
never been any application to him except once, and
that was some time ago, when some gentlemen eatt.e
to hint, and asked hint tor his plan, &c.
Alderman Wood said, the gentlemen had said enough
10 convince the meeting that every thing necessary had
two) done. llc (Mr. Wood) could metition the names
of those gentlemen who virated Mr. Petro., and the par-
ticulars of the merting. Ir was not, however, necessar.
It was pretty well seen that the whole was a job. (.1
laugh, in which Mr. Pewe.dined.) A Petition was then
voted, which contained the substance of the Resolu-
tions.

.The new Game Bill makes wild ducks, woo3aocl,‘,
and snipes gauze! This is contrary to Blackstou:2.
Whet right can a landholder in this country assume.,
in point of property, iu birds of passage ? It would'
be just as consistent as if turbots caught on toe
• Dutch coast were denominated English game.
1 he approaching sittings of the Insolvent Debtors
Court are expected to last above a firtnight. There
having been no sittings For the last six weeks, on
ae-
count of Serjeant Rutinitugton beinrindisposed, them
are now 7::.+.4 pending applications from imsolycnts ~Sjpt-
heir discharge.
A
On Sat unLy, upwards of 150 men of the Hon. Fast India Company s artillery and infantry marched 4 4.
tram Chatham to Gravcsenll, to embark tin. India. now*.
Nlonday detachments of the Royal Scots, 341:11 and
69th regiments, likewise marched to embark for t
trazte destination.
cv •

DUG/

618010.
Ronk Stork 268 10 . a
3 per Ceut. futp..i per Cent.
3 per Urn' Cues. 741 India 8.0111114 63i
44 per Cent. 136/ India Stork
4 per Cent. Eichequer Halls 18.
5 per Cent. Navy 1051 Cons. for Ac. i-ii
Lung Anti. 914 Lottery Tickets ;91. Ms.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Eamon.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2s, 1819.

MILITARY BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.
• On Friday night in the House of Commons, •
question of privilege was brought forward, for the
rarticulars of which we refer our Readers to our
Parliamentary Report.—At anj time this would be
a subject ofconsequence, but its importance greatly
• ,:.increases when we consider the present censurable
inclination on the part of the Government, to intro-
duce the sabre and bayonet on every oceasion.—The
• Prince cannot hold a Levee, without the public
streets being crowded by Soldiery—how much more
honourable the feeling of Elieabeth, when
pointing to the populace, who had c.tuse to esteem
her—the exclaime•l " THESE ARE MY GUARDS."
A performance at a Theatre is not now allowed

without the (.;,:ards being stationed even as low as
" York-streat.— We all know that Cromwell entered
the House of Commons attended by Soldiers, and
ardered them to " Take away, that bauble"
meaning the Speaker's Nam; and really if the House
• .of Commons had not so properly asserted its privi-
'Pies as it slid on Friday night, we should not kave
been surprised if ae present Ministers under e
Ilrmarelsicsal Government, had en24lated the harsh-
. isood of the Usurper.

We have received Boston Pape s to the 23 instant.
and New Yolk to the 28th ch. l'hcir contents .Iro
important, as insuenucing the cessation of the Flori-
das by Spain to the United States of America. The
Treaty wus laid before the Serrate by the Presklent,
t.n the 22t1 of last month. The prose' (Hogs in Con-
bress relating to Arbuthnot and Ambrister are still
iraportant—Though the }louse of Representatives
hat come to a. deeision; there is yet an expectativo.
that the Senate 'Aid rtveue its reio2utionst

French papers to Saturday last have arrived. Nin"
Peers, in addition to those already received by the
Chamber, were introduced in the sitting of the 18th
instant ; when likewise M. de Sese made a Report
from the Committee on the proposition for repeal-
ing the law against seditious cries. Although the
Committee recommended the abolition of that law,
M. de Seze announced his entire disagreement with
his colleagues. From the pium.eings of the Cham-
ber of Deputies, it appears that the sentences passed
upon a certain glass of French criminals—namely,
those who had' been condemned to exile--cannot be
carried into execution, ali. the countries bordering
eji,k4zance having,refused to let these convicts pas
their frontiers, from motives very easily to be un-
derstood. The Government, therefore, must par-
don these men's offences, or find some means of com-
muting their several punishments. It is in our
opinion, satisfactory to learn, that the Commission
appointed by the Chamber of Deputies to report on
the message from the Chamber of Peers, relative to
the election law, has, through its Chairman, Count
Beugnot, reported against that alarming resolution
which formed the subject of the message.

We have received some German papers, one of
which contains an article from Berlin, stating that
M. Humboldt has been authorised to prepare the
details of the new Prussian constitution; the form
of which, if we understand it clearly, bears in some
respects a closer resemblance to that of the United
States to that of any other Government with which
we are acquainted. Each province is to have its
assembly of local representatives, whence arc to be
selected a higher order of representatives, who
are to attend the general Parliament or Diet of the
kingdom. If this constitution be carried into efleot,
it will compose a sort of federative monarchy; but
which, being at the same time a miliktry monarchy,
app,ars likely to experience in its adotinistration
some difficulties of no small moment. If there be a
strong executive power at the centre, the predomi.
nance of the military spirit may :ender the Crown
an overmatch fix the forms of a free Constitution.
If, on the other hand, the prerogative be weak, the
conflicting interest of the local assemblies may tear
the whole usach:ne.to.pieres. The Germans, we fear,
Ltre fauch to ice, irLst rci,tcs to the practical

MAUI; *s.

and daily exercise of those political rights, in the
praises and pursuit of which they display so much
laudable animation. Curnot is moving nearer to the
French frontter.

The expected prrdas de toe concerning the liberty
and abuses of the press, were on Tuesday last pre.
seined to the Chamber of Deputies, after an intro-
ductory oration by the Keeper of the Seals.

The; prqjetz deloi are three in num. er, containing
no less than 65 separate articles ; for the most im-
portant of which we refer our readers to the usual
head of French intelligence, in another column,
The first poja, submitted by the Keeper of the
Seals, enumerates the several species of literary of-
fences, with the penalties to be annexed to each of
them; the second regulates the mode of judicial
proceeding to be observed towards persons charged
with such offences • while the third relates to the
journals and periodical publications, which, as being
tir the future withdrawn from the censorship, will
require some special provisions of law. The class of
ofienders placed foremast on the list are those who
by 1* writings, pictures, emblems, or placards," shall
instigate others to the perpetration of crimes, in
which the said instigators are aLso declared to be
accomplices, Should such criminal pnictices consist
of imputations or allegation* injurious to the King's
person, they subject the author to en imprisonment
of not less than 6 months, nor exceeding 5 years, and
to a fine of from 500 to 10,000 francs. Various
kinds, degrees, and objects of defamation, public
and individual, are laid down with elaborate minute-
ness: and the punishments, which Lonsist in all
cases of fine and imprisonment, are graduated sc.
cording to.the offence. Speeches in the Chambers,
however, and reports or papers printed under their
authority, are exempt from.the operation of the new
pr el.
With respect to the joutnals, daily and periodical,
the chief provisions of the law have been already
anticipated; viz. that a declaration shall be made of
the names and places of abode of two of the Edi-
tors, with that of the Office duly authorized where
the paper is printed. •ld. That bail shall be given
to the amount of 10,000 francs in renter for the
daily journals, and 5,000 renfea for those periodi-
cally published.

The pmjets were ordered to be printed and dig.
tributed, and a day was to be fixed for their dis-
cussion.

Prinee 'Leopold is sfiortly expected in England :
his Royal ilighness is nn his way home; he was to
leave Coburg soon after the 12th inst.
The report as to the destruction of Messina by an
earthquake, appears to be without the slightest
foundation.

We understand an Algerine Ambassador and suite
are shortly expected to arrive in London.
CAMBRIDGE, March 25.—Their Roy 1 High-
nesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have,
we understand, signified to the Lord Bishop of
Bristol, their intention of being present at the en-
suing commencement, and of honouring his Lord-
ship and family with their company at Trinity-lodge
during their stay.
Further advices from Jamaica to the 9th at. were
received on Friday. The state of the corps, owing to
the continuance of bad weather, was very unpromis-
ing : a letter dated St. Mary's, Jan. 28, say 4—" I
have before mentioned, that our prospects were vcry
bad in this quarter generally, and am sorry to add
that they have been still further blighted by the late
unprecedented bud weather we have experienced ;
perha s the severest winter ever known for rain, not
having had ten dry days since the beginning of last
November, which has nearly destroyeA the little col-
fee we had remaining on our t ees, and occasioned
the smallest crop I ever made on this place ; I be-
lieve our neighbours have suffered equally." :
The beautiful Circassian, in the possession of the
Persian Ambassador, about to visit Eng:and, and who
is so closely confined at this time from the insrectioq
of the Parisians, is expected to be imported here
with the same sacrct restraint ; but whether the vi-
gilance of our Custom-houseofficers will be dispensed
with on. so critical an affair as a lady locked up in A
cabinet, is an ordeal whichttlie proprietor of the fair
stranger has to hazard.

Ex—tract from the Bulletin de Commerce of 20th
March :—" Paris, 19th March.—By tulvice from
Niarseil es of the i gth inst., it was reported there,
that the city of .t.essina had ken swallowed up by an
earthquake, Had that upwards of 40 vessels, which
were in the port, had timinlered. It is Mile'', that
the cowl of Calsgbria had suffered considerably. This
news fortunately requires cenfirmation."—ilcm. A
list from thesgent at Lloyd's at Marteillea, 4;altzl
12th mast., due4,not mentio.n.this report. •