The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-04 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

JUNE 4.

Pon. Gentle; tueu Just:owed the case of the Borough of Stir-
ling, w here some of the higher orders in the Borough had enter-
ed a cornipt contract with the candidate ; and the matter be-
IN brought before the Court of Session, they set aside the elec-
tion, though it was proved that the greater part of the electors
were no party tb, nor did they know of the corrupt transaction.
This judgment of the Court of Session was appealed against. and
was continued by the House of Lords, 1713. It was the duty
of the House now to do as their ancestors did, and, v. hen they
found the Common Law not sufficient, to proceed by prohibitory
statute. The question now was, whether the House were to put
;town this practice, which had been openly avowed by a prohi-
bitory statute ; and if they considered it seriously, it appeared to
him there would be no difficulty in doing it. The Hon. Ntember had
deelard it ni-cessary to annex an oath to it. His (the SPEA Kurt's)
only quarrel with the oath was to its form ; he had no ()Wee-
*ion to V hat he thought a proper oath. Ile agreed with Sir W.
Blackstone, thiLt the oath of the elected was more likely to be
efficacious than that of the elector. But as he did out think it
au esseiviiel point, he would not press it further. He thought
other provisions might be substituted, that would Drove equally
efficacious. For instance, it might he nec:.‘ssary to declare both
the buyer and the seller guilty of a misdemeanor. On the whole,
It was necessary to guard against the prejudices of the people,
which might be done more easily than was imagined ; for those
who were now used to excuse the practice, because it was of
long standing, and the use and abuse of it had been so long over-
looked, would start from it IN ith abhorrence, when they found it
prohibited by a statute.

T
- he Cn A NcELLoa of the EXCHEQUER had some altera-
tions, to make in the wished, for instance, to ren-
der punishable the !person who gave money to him who could
emit rout a vote, as well as to him who might have a vote. The
receiver, he thought, ought to be punished in the forfeit of the
sem which be bad received, and in 5001. above it. Ile -would
not make the offence of bribery triable as a misdememinr in the
Co.urs of Law, because in his opinion that would he leaving
open to their discussion the expulsion of a Meinbe- from that
house. If this %sere the case, a man might often be tried under
great disadvantages; he might be condemned on account of a
Variety of circumstauces, such as the death of a witness, &c.--
On this account aloue, he thought the time of prosecution ought
to be limited. With respect to the clause which went to render
punkhable the gi v big offices for Seats in Parliament, he th ought
it would be tntjust and itopossilde to miry that into execution,
because it would be impos-ible to say whether office was
given with a view to influence a vote. 03ices must he tilled, or
the public busine-s would not proceed. Ile would ask them,
lvith such a clause as that impending fiver them, bow it was
p..,ssiitle for any Nlember in that liouse to accept a place, whom
a jury might not inciude under the menaced penalty ? Who could
lie certain that that )dice was not given wit'h a view to Parlia-
mentary intltien,ce I In suith a case it would not be safe for any
person who had a vote to receive an of4e, for the. jury would
,ee that he had a vote or inUneace, and got a place, and that was
nil the evilence they could have before them on the subject.",
'`J.2ll eVideuce might carry conviction even against the most Wino..
rent. It alight he said, that be wag giving this opinion with
the hope :hat he might retard as much as possible of the intpt-
en, e of mice ; but as he wits consvion; of acting itoncsly. he
eauld fear ao such imputation. There was anotherclause 111 tl'r
to w he w'n lied to allude, and that was the one which
t „i.,j11;:, or MOM!) io order to he elected, as puni,lia-
-I,:e. Now tie thought this would e• tend even to the sale of pro-
p?rty, an:l to the prfihitiiii.,o Of the legal evpcnces of an elee-
I ; and holding such i,teas, he wished to propose amendments
e 4 eluding such friM3 the penaPies attached !ty the Bill to a
ion of its clan,c.. As to the oath proposed 1 i he 17tken by
the .;:ealbers u,h taking their seats, he co.t.i it as wholly
objec.i.niable, because the offence w .1:16 it went to
g4ard was totally ia;lerinite. Ire oaered as a.% i!lo-tration of
this opinion, the varlet::, judgments given as t., .t hat COW be
considered as a yiniation or the Treatiug Act. 11e ciatcluded by
tu9ving clauses in conformity with his speech.
After a conversation of home length between the Chancellor
of the Lxchequer, Mr. Curwea, Mr. Abbot, Mr. C. VVynne, Mr.
Tierney, and Mr. Dirr)., the bill was reported, with the amend-
ments. 'Ordered oi be taken into further consideration on
aud to be printed in the mean time.

rritlav, June Q.
Arr. AIE!,I IST3 moved the t4ird re4dinf ;of ,the Gas LighiF
etrpiatiy BO!.

'

Mr. DAvls Glum- opposed the Bifl, and moved au amend-
ment that it he read t third time this day three months.
Ifouse divided—For the Amendineut .31; Against it 39;
lilajority elgaiu6t the Bill 14.

rUELIC EXPENDITURE.
Mr. 11. VARTIN said he had formerly %.)frered some opser-
vations to the House respecting tine Finances of the Coon-
•.C.o "kiwi sitwe considered the sehject, and 91) discovery hart
occurred on the 'mhos which attracted Iris attention to prevent
him from thinking; it wos absolutely necessary to apply the con-
sideration of the House to all mat:ers of eyp.enditure connected
with the public service. The House had (Attained information
which did not place the public resource, in a tlattering state.—
lie alluded to the produce of the Consolidated Funds. Up to
the 3d of April, Iso9, the funds produced a stun not larger than
30,190,000/. Vie year previous to the last loan, the produce
of those funds amounted to 31,970,W. making a deficiency of
above ,onoopt. If this account was correct, and lie did not
dooht its accuracy, the llouse would see that the war taxes were
likely to be permanent. The situation of our arm and navy
made it impossible to have a peace cst:thlishnwnt, like a former
peace establishment, as all the resources of the couotry would
he necessary for the diseherge 4/1 war taxes. 'Fite country %
placed in a situation which increased the war taxes every day,.
and this cireimutance furnished a most rtant argument to
prove the necessity of a trionte attetitiell to the public expendi-
ture. lie hail sewral resolutions to submit to the !louse; but.
t:ett he then proposed nab 1110Ve his first resolution,
That tilt' present slate of pith; ic affairs, toeing a great charge
on the country in consequence of w ar, required the utmost
economy..'
Mr. lluseAssox said the Honourable Gentleman had stated,
that a falliag ow of the foods Ito l occurred during the last
)ear, but the Honourable Gentleman must have known that
they voted 53,500,0001. making a surplus of 500,000 f.
mere than the Consolidated Fend. If this sum should appear
to have been raised to meet the public charges, in addition
to the statement of the lion. Gentlemn, it could not be said
the permanent taxes had exceeded those of the preceding yell..
The suns of the Consolidated Food Owl betel less thtring the last
year than the preceding year, bee; use the duties on sugar were
applied to disenarge Exchequer Bills instead of the Consoli-
dated Fund. The lion, Gentleman contended generally, that the
public resources were not reduced. :u-• the) had been represented..
ir, 'Nett N 1:v was of opinion that th m ,
e staannent ade by the
Hon. Metaber deserved the attent !In of the House, hut contend-
ed that the Malt Duties would not make up the deficiency al-
luded to. The falling off of the permanent taxes must be owing. •
in some measure, he was convinced, to aurears yet due. The fair
way would he, to form a correct jmiginent of the financial state •
of the country, to calculate what w oold be our peace establish-
ment, suppose a peace were to ta:;e, place. The expettees of
the peace establishment, at the 'wet moderate calculation, he •
estimated at 48,74.1,00:)!. w hien, witii the interest upon 19 tail-
lions of Exchequer Hills ontstan.dioe and ueprovided for, would
make nearly 50 millions of :Imolai expenditure. To meet this
expenditare, theme was only lis.:)00,(2,01/.. permanent taxes, so
that 11 millions would still remain to he provided for out of the -
wet- taxes. The war taxes amonnted to 19 millions, including •
the lucerne tax, amouniing to I I It ttould be then,- •
fore necessary, no a genet: esetWishoiteit, not oat) to continue
the oilier tzar tax:•s, hunt continue Ole income tax, of which it •
I% as so desiiatil..! to cct rid, t,, the anetuni, at least, of five per
cent. as he other Nag taxes, in the es cut a peace, would not be
so reductive as at pre-eie.. Tit k lie coie•ilered as a•perions view
of our financial stat:•, and was of epioion ,visit the Hoe. and
Lettroed hover, that it ca!ld food!, 141,r the itoo:4 rigid ecooomy.
Mr. Ross: observed, that the e.ttention gi ten to this subject
by the original Mover tic the ;:esoni ions no iv before themA air.
Martin) was highly convileinl,ible, but, at the same Little, this
close attention to econom oa, .10 meal's new. A great deal
had been already done, p irticHarlv in \tr. Pitt's Ad,ministra-
(ion, who, in 11'95, had aboli!theil tia has than 196 ()dices. An
increase of the salaries of the eise ha x big become necessary at
the same time, 100. officers in that department were abolished,
V nod thus not only the necessary increase effected, hut a
.conside-
rabic SarLet produced to the Public. Other offices were sup-
thie year )799, and the n hole Salt Establishment abo-
ishe:l, which made aunt her considt•ra hl c saving to the Public.—
Alto?,,ether, burring 11r. Piit's edministr,!ion, there were abo-
lished niti Offices, producing a :tvintr .if at least V 3,000/. in fa-
vour of the Public. Wheel Mr. Pitt came into office, it was
the practice for the Minister to give the Ilan to his 'Articular •
f: !suck, •geeterally to Members of Parliament, at not less C• 1711