The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-05 00:00:00

etrenehment, to make up for the difference betwixt a state
of peace and a state of war. As to the inflammatory language
used by the Honourable Member for Somersetshire, the Noble
Marquis must makb up his mind to hear much of that kind of
language, if he expected landowners to pay taxes, without
rents.—( Elea ! ) . •
Mr. Secretary PEEL expressed his surprise at the language
used by the Hon. Baronet who had just sat down, in speaking
-of the measure of 1819, for the change o; the currency. He
had often heard-the. Honourable Baronet pursue the sate
course of rt,i lark upon that measure ; and he had heard it
always with surprise; - for, in proportion as the condemnation
tit' . tne Honourable I,la_ronet was true and deserved, did he
prone:mice strong_ censure oar himself.—(Hear hear, hear.)
----If, as he, said, the eViltendeucy of it.was obvious to him,
-he was guilty of a breach of duty in not warning the House
-of, the errors of its course.—(Hear, hear.!)—lf the principle of
the Bill were obviously iniquitous, it Must have been- so in
-1918—policy might vary, but principle could not and as the
Hon. Baronet did not or could not speak when he ought to
have done so, it was•too much, that having,.as he thought, be-
come wiie, he should, come down to that House at this period,.
and make a holiday speech upon this subject like . that which
they had just heard, to excite a clamour most unjustly against
the Guvenimeni of the country.—(Cheers.)-.—lf the measure
was deserving of reprobation, it was not the Government
that was chargeable. No measure ever passed with greater
unanimity than that measure had.—(Hear, hear, hear to—
It was not a Government measure, and, if it. were, still it
had been received better than any measure Coming from.that
side of the House ever had been. He for himself peculiarly
regretted any share that he might have had in a.measure
which could by possibility aggravate the distress of the coun-
try. But he was perfectly satisfied with the course he on that
occasion pursued, and he solemnly declared, that, with all the
experience he had of its operation,. were the country. in the
same situation of danger, on the brink of a fearful precipice,
as he contended it was at that period, he should advise th
same change in the currency which had been effected in
4819.—(dear.)--.He regretted lie had permitted himself to go.
so, far into the question, when a specific motion on the sub-
ject was about to come before the House ; but it was impos-
sible to tolerate without remonstrance the unfair attempt which
had been made to inflame the country against the GoVernment,
for having departed from its duty. As to gratitude spoken of
by the Hon.• Baronet, who claimed any gratitude ?, Was it
.inipossible for an individual on that side of the House: to ex-
press approbation of any measure of his-Majesty's Government
without being taunted by the abject term of gratitude. They
. did not ask for gratitude; but they demanded that justice •
whh:th one Englishman had a right to receive at the hands of
every other.—(Hear, hear !)—No Gentleman, he contended,
was open to such remarks for having paid a merited tribute
sine in justice to his Majesty's Ministers.--(Cheers.)
Sir P. BURDETT. explained.
Mr. DENMAN did not feel the less inclined to make obser-
vations because of the lecture they. had received. Last year.'
the people were instructed not to, petition, and now Members
were told not to discuss their petitions. He agreed with the
Right Hop. Gentleman opposite that they owed no gratitude to
his Majesty's Ministers for what had been done in the way of
relief; for it was not until after they had been beaten by suc-
cessive majorities that they bethought themselves of taking off
taxes... But so anxious were they of all the credit due to this,'
that last night his Hon. and Learned Friend (Mr. Brougham)
was taunted with appearing in borrowed feathers, and described
as skulking away with all the glories of a stolen leaf from the
book of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Mr.. BEN NET begged to disclaim, for himself, any parti-
' eipation in that gratitude which the Noble Marquis- opposite
seemed to charge upon the House. He never saw any thing
since he had been in the House, entitling the Ministers t 9 gra-
titude.

. .
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY was not aware that he
h4d ever imputed such a feeling to the Honourable Member.—
( A
.lpgh.) _

. . ,
!after a fewwords from Mr. JAMES, the Petition was brought
.
up. On the question that it be read, /
_
Sir T. LETHBRIpOE rose to declare that. he did not be-
.lieve any sentence uttered by him wquld bear the construction
cf being inflannuatory, put upon it by the Noblq Marqyis, and
he was sure that he had no such intention. He begged, how-
ever, to state that he should continue diurnally to state his sen 7
tirnents, even at the risk of offending, the Noble Marquis.—
(A laugh..)—The whole country hail become, reformers. The
yeomanry were reformers ;and he hicriself was a convert to the
doctrine of reform.—(A. laugh. _-That House wanted more of
tlic., Landed interest in it before justice could be done to the
country. , He hoped, however, the, Noble Marquis would not
,a:teuse 'him of being inflammatory, although he did wear a
white hat. • . ,

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY had only to charge the
.Ilos. Baronet with having unduly executed his own intentions.
With reference to the repeated assertions, that it was only at
the instariceof the other side. that taxes had been taken off, he
'begged to remind, the ;louse -.thht, they commenced in Easter
to state their plans fcr the remission of taxation, thus taking
.the earliest moment that the pressure of public business offered.
-, The Petition was then read, and ordered to he printed.
ILCHESTER GAOL. -

Sir P. BURDEI7. gave. notice_ of a motion to-morrow for
the y-oduction of that ),,,urnal which had been kept back upon
the ground of its being private property.
.51r. PEEL said that) at a convenient time,, he should lay
before the /louse the documents relative to Ilchester gaol; and
that the letter containing the denial in question should then be
produced. , _ -

. .
CRIMINAL CODE. . . •
3li. W. C. WILSON presented a Petition from Blackburn,
. in Lancashire, against the severity of
,the Criminal Code.
Mr. DENMAN presented Petition from Camelford, in
Cornwall, praving for a revision of .the irminal Lavi.
POSTM.,STER-GENERAL.S.IIIP SCOTLAN-D.
The CrIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was desirous,
looking at the time which Would be occupied 135,' Sir James
Macintosh on the criminal law, that an Bon. and Gallant
Officer (Six R. Fergusson)• should postpone his motion.rela-
tivc to the Postmaster-Generalship of Scotland.
Sir.RONALD.FERGUSSON was content to withdraw his
once ; and he• did so the more willingly, 'because he.belieied
that tht.Conunissioners upon, inquiry could not fail to find the
office a Mere sinedure. He understoo,d that it was one,of thoSe
.offices which came immediately under the notice of the Com-
missioners.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, said, that
the plan certainly would come under. the consideration of the
Commissioners. Ile was not sure at what period of their in-
quiry, but he beiieved very early. •
• CRI 111. 'NAL .

Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH assured the House, that in
• to call theirattention to this subject, he was deeply gen-
' Sihle how much he must be indebted to their patience and in-
.,dulgeritia to attend to him. He also felt the difficulty of his
. task in having to address the House upon a question of that
.general nature, which although unspeakably important. to the
-whole community, touched upon no particular point of indi-
vidual interest ; which meited no Party animosity, and offered
.nochanceof bringing up those personal contests which were
the chief amusement to byestanders. In this question no bodies
. of Gentlemen were threatened with ruin, and no Ministers
-.called on to defend their measures, which had of late given a
more painful interest to the debates of that House. From the
. deep importance of the subject, and the public interest at-
' tacileil to it,.he hoped_ it would be viewed in a spirit, free froni
.all warmth. of party, and also not as a question of the laws of
thA country. The, Petitions now lying
,on the table of tbe
'House in favour of a mitigation-of the Severity of Our Criminal
-.Code were from persons of all pariieS, and all religious persua-
sions, and expressed the deliberate opinions of the great ma-
jority of the enlightened part of the country. This case then
.. standing on the highest ground that could affect the concerns
of a nation, he hoped for the same indulgence frOm the House
dick had on forme; occasions been pleased to honour him
hear.)--At this period of the Session, it was riot
his Intention to propose any Bill for the adoption of the House.
At the same time, however, prevented as he had partly been,
by public business, partly by the difficulty of the subject, and
partly by the state of his own health, from proposing s mea-
sure at a time when he might have, expected an adequate dis-
cussion in both Houses of Parliament, he.Slibuld think hiniself
-unOardonahle if he did not advance one step in the present
Session. It was, therefore, his intention to offer a resolution
.to the House, affirming a principle which. Might he likely to
.afford the basis for a systematic, early, and effectual le_gtsla-
. Lion. next .8e:1z:ion, towards the revision of the Criminal Laws.
Rezplution was to this effect That this House will,
early .rin the next Session of ..Parliament, take into .its most.
, serious' censideration the means of increasing the efficacy of
the Criminal• Laws of the country by abating their rigour, and
also 'of strengthening the Police.", He laid little stress upon
the mere words of the Resolution. He wished merely. to have a
declaration of the House in recognition of a principle which.
the House bad already adopted in many measures which had
passed them. Ile therefore abandoned ins motion to ti t verbal
-critieNtri to any .one• who might think it worth his while so to
treat* it. Although he laid no -great stress on precedent in a
case of this kind, yet he was able, to, sheer precedent for it. He
could draw one from the history of one of the greatest mea-
.surea that had ever issued from that... House, the Slave Trade.
A Resolution had been adopted by the House on th.at,great
questiob, which .ihe might call the dying Words 'of Mr. Fox.
That ReioluPtisa was the last expression of that inextingnish-
able sal -for Me interests of mankind whiCh'warinctil,theteart,
and threw a lustre round the public life-of that great and'ex-
c.dlent man.-4 Hear 1)--He need say no more in-favour of the
precedent he brought in support of the course he pursued upon
this occasion. He proposed only to re-assert the principle con.:
,ained,inseyeral Acts of the Legislature, and still more of that