The Sun.
London, England, 1806-03-08 00:00:00

LIABILITY OF WITNESSES.

The LORD CILINCELLOR, after briefly stat-
ing the nature of the question referred to the Judges,
and of their opinions thereon, stated, that he held in
his hand a Bill, the obje& of whiCh was to declare.
the law with respea to the liability of witnesses to
be as stated by the majority of the Judges. The
necessity of a Bill of this nature was obvious, in
consequence of the difference Of opinion which
prevailed amongst the Judges. He had, there-
fore, prepared a Bill which, in a fevi words, de-
clared the law to be, that a witness-was liable to
answer any question relative to the matter in issue,
the answering of which did not tend to suibjed: him
to any criminal punishment, penalty or forfeiture,
but which did establish, or.tend to establish, a debt,
or subject him . to a civil process "at the suit, of the
Crown, or ;my person or persons. He was aware
that in thus declaring generally the law, it would
be necessary to provide against several exceptions
which had been-under the consideration of his Noble
and 'Learned Friend (Lord Eldon);to whom he trust-
ed fora proviso to be, added to the BiIL
The Bill was presented by his Lordship, and read
a first time.

Lord ELDOiV expressed his intention of pro-
posing, on the second reading of the Bill, a proViso,
tor the purpose mentioned by his Noble and Learned
Friend. He moved that the Bill be printed.--k
Ordered.

IMPEACHMENT WITNESSES' I/MEMNITY BILL.

Lord HOLLAND observed, that in the course of
the various discussions respecting the subje& involved
in this Bill,.several objediors had been made to the
Bill which be had hitherto forebore to notice,' but
onfwhich he could not avoid troubling their Lord- -
ships with-a few words before he moved to discharge
the order on it. After giving a short detail of the
progress of the Indemnity Bill brought in last Ses-
swn,and of the Bill. now before the House, together
with the questions referred to the Judges, and their
opinions, he contended, that the present Bill had
been mis-stated by the Noble and Learned Lord (El-
don), on a. former occasion', to be an ex potst faao
law, neither was it•the object of the Bill to alter the
law as already existing. These 'who had framed
the Bill had done it with the best views and the
best intentions ; and in supporting the • Bill' in
that House, he had no other object than that
complete justice should be done in the case to
wliich it referred, He wished their Lordships to
keep in mind the precise grounds on which the Bill
stood ; if a witness in any suit in a. Court of- Law
Was interested, he might be rendered.a.competent
witness by. means of a release ; the present Bill
would have operated as a release to certain witnesses
of any debts which might be due from. them to the
Crown. •It was here that, according to the law, as
stated by a majority of the Judges, and as about to
be declared by the Bill presented .by his Noble ,and
Learned 'Friend, that a witness could not demur to
a question on the- ground that the answer would
render him liable to a civil a6tiou for a debt, ,but the
Bill went away to release the witnesses in the case
mentionesl, from • those debts which could serve
them for any grounds of demurrer. He should not
press the Bill upon their Lordships' attention, now
that a declaratory Aet had been presented, but should
only observe, in addition to what had been stated,
that the Bill was sant:boned by precedents, r6peCt-
. ing.which, he would content himself with referring
their Lordships to Vines Abridgment, and 'Mr.
Cowper'i Reports.
There was, however, one objeCtion to the Bill
which he bad nc4 heard stated in that House, but
which had great weight in his mind, which was, that-
the advantage sought to be attained by it ought not to
be purchased by giving' up any sums of money which
might eventually turn out to be due to the Public
from any person whom it was the object of the Bill
to iudeinuify. He concluded by moving to dis-
charge the Order for summoning their Lordships for
this day, observing, that he should fix no other day
for -the second reading, not, however, giving it up
altogether, until something definitive was done re-
spewing the proposed declaratory law.'
Lord ELDON exp!ained the reason of the opposi-
tion which he originally gave it.. He considered it
as unnecessary, and operating, in case it should be
enacted, as an es post labio:law, a pradice to which
the principles of the Constitution were -extremely
adverse...

'l'lheOrder of tile Day for a second reading of the
Bill was.then discharged sine 4ie.—Adjourned till
Monday,

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

FRIDAY, MARCH 7.

The Sheriffs of Loudon Presented a Petition from
the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common. Council
London, prayin that the late. Aas.respe(iing the
London Free-market for Cdals, might be amended,
and the. Provisiops enlarf,;,,ed.—lieferred to a Com-
p.ittee.
• Sir JACOB ASTLBY presented a Petition from the
Maltsters of Norwich, praying for an alteration in
the late Regulations respeating their Trade,,--Order-
Fd to lie on the Table.
A Petition was presented from the Boot and Shoe-
makers of Sunderland, against the improper Com-
binations in that business.7-45,rclered to he on the
Table.

Mr. Hoimpusr presented a Petition from certain
Creditors of the late Nabob of Arcot, praying that
the powers of the Commision for e.xanaining into
Their Claims should be enlarged. He stated that
it had'been found necessary to refer the Claims to

the arbitration -of a Parliamentary Commission, and
that it lrid been understood that if they found their
powers deficient they w; re to apply to Parliament.
This had turned out to he the -case, and therefore
t was now judged requisite to come to this House to
obtain fuller powers, especially the right of eta-
miuing. on oath, - while the• penalty of perjury
Would attach to those who did not adhere to the
truth.

Mr. WHITSHE,D KEEYE rose, but spoke so low
that we could scarcely catch any thing he said.—
We understood, however, that he opposed the Mo-
tion, on the ground that many of the. Claims were of
such a nature that the Commissioners could not de=
cide on their merits, and that it was improper to
grant powers to a C,ornmission to examine into a sub-
jea which• it could not understand. •
Mr. GRANT observed, that the 'East India
,Cotii-
pany had no objetaion to the Motion. Their wish
was, that this business should be settled. by persons
who should have every facility for doing what was
fit and pioper. It was right that 'application for
this purpose should be made to the House, and they
had no desire to oppose -the present Claim for far-
ther powers.—The .Petition was then referred .to a
Committee.

Lord HENRY PETTY presented the Annual , Peti-
tions for Aid from the Orphan House,. the House of
Industry, and several other Charitable Institutions.
' Mr. WIIITEREAD 1110Ved, that the Order respea-
ing a Return of the EffeCtive Strength, &c. &c. of
the.:Volunteers should be rescinded. This being
done, he moved an Order nearly to the same ei-
fea, which was, That there should be laid before.
the House the Returns, or Copies of the Returns,
from the InspeEtinc, Field' Officers, of the Effeative
Strength of the different Volunteer Corps, their State
of Discipline, and general fitness for Service, &c. &c.
to the Lest period.--Agreed to. •
Mr. Fyint.t. moved that the former Order re-
petting the importation of Wool, should be dis-
charged, and that another' should be substituted in .
its stead, calling for an Account of the Wool im-
ported for the last ten years, distinguishing the,Spa-
nigh Wool, and the different Countries from which
the Importations were made.--Agreed to.
Mr. Alderman PRIN§Er gave notice that on Mon-
day he would move for the production of the Port
Lists of the different Settlements in India, as far as
they respected the Trade of that Country with Eu-
rope and America.- •
Mr. WHITSHED KEENE moved for lc Copies of
the Covenants of the East India Company with its
Servant, and the Orders transmitted to the same re-
speetinc, Loans to the Princes of India, and the Na-
tives tirereof,"::-.Agreed to.