The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-21 00:00:00

SCOTCH BURGHS.

Lord A. HAMILTON moved that the second reading of:
the Lord Advocate's Bill• relative to Scotch, Burghs be fixed
for this day fortnight. In doing this, the Noble Lord ex-
pressed his surprise that the second reading of the Bill had
been so long delayed.
The LORD ADVOCATE said he was about to inform the

House on a former evening of the causes of the delay which had
occurred with regard- to his Bill, but he had been prevented
from doing so by the Noble Lord, who caused the House to be
counted out. He would not satisfy the Noble Lord on the pre-
sent occasion, though he should be prepared to give a full ex-
planation to the House hereafter:
After a few -words from Mr. ABERCROMBY, the second
reading of the Bill was fixed according to the notice of Lord
A. Hamilton.

Sir H. VIVIAN presented a Petition from the inhabitants
of Truro, in Cornwall, praying for the repeal of the Salt Tax.
Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a Petition from the Tanners
of Sheffield, praying for the repeal of the Leather Tax. The
Hon. Member expressed his opinion that relief would be best af-
forded to the country by the repeal of some of the Assessed taxes.
He took this opportunity to ask the Hon. Secretary for the
Treasury how it happened that since the repeal of the Agri-
cultural Horse Tax, Farmers who held land under a certain
extent paid a higher duty on horses than before ?
Mr. LUSHII\GTON understood that by the existing .40,
a farmer had been supposed liable to pay for one of his hoftes
as a ridlng horse, at the rate of 21. 17s. 6d. a year. Orders
were already given in the proper quarter that such -had not
been the intent of the Act; but he held in his hand a notice
for a short Bill which would be declaratory of the true mean-
ing of the law.
The Bill was then brought up and read.
Mr. WODEHOPSE brought up a report from the Agricul-
tural Committee, recommending certain regulations relative to
the warehousing system.
NAVIGATION LAWS.

Mr. STUART WORTLEY presented a Petition from

%Vhitby, in Yorkshire, against any alteration in the' +Naviga-
tion Laws.
Mr. COKE presenied a Petition from the ship-owners of
Wells, in Norfolk, to the.sameeffect. •

IRISH TITHES.
Mr. ABERCROMBY presented` a Petitien from a \Mr.
Carew, the proprietor of certain Tithes in the Queen's County,
in'lreland, praying for an alteration in the present Law of
Tithes in Ireland, To that law he attributed much of the dis-
, turbances now prevailing in that unhappy country. The Peti-
.tioner said he was willing to make a sacrifice otrpersonal
emolument, if the Legislature would alter the system. Ex'
pectations on this suluecf had been held out towards the Irish
people; and the reality had certainly not corresponded with
them: lie trusted some measure would be soon adopted for
the purpose of affordii:g relief to the inhabitants of Ireland.
Mr. GOULBURN said that in a few days he should be
prepared with a specific measure on the subject.
' - Mr. CAREW spoke shortly in support of the Petition. He
considered much of the sufferings of Ireland was to be attri-
buted to absentees as well as to the tithe system.
Mr. S. RICE said the'substance of the measure alluded to
by,the Right lion. Secretary- (Mr. GoulburE) was already
ltqw-D4•and it was well-known it would tint give satisfaction.
The Parochial Clergy of Ireland • were of this opinion. In-
deed, the measure in question *as merely. avantageous to thp
Episcopacy.. It had been stated that he (Mr. R..) was.fa.vour-
able to the abolition of thetithes on potatoes, without giving
the Clergy an equivalent. This he positively denied; and-he
declared he would not obtain eyen a relief of the peasantry of
Ireland at the expellee of the first principles of justice.
Mr.'(.3-OULBURN explained.
Mr. PLUNKt:T'said 'the prdent Petition- was merely. for
an alteration in the mode of collecting Tithes, and, not for
their abolition. He presumed the Petitioner did not mean to
offer the sacrifice of the Tithes themselves. Where there was
a proper feeling displayed by the landlords towards their te-
nantry, there was little.' clamoueabout tithes. Any measure
calculated to improve the mode of collecting the tithes would
have his support.
Lord ENNISMORE said the distress of Ireilnd was to be
referred principally to the conduct of Middlemen, ,trhose num-
ber was-diminishing very fast.
Sir JOHN NE‘I;PORT said he could see no reason why a
commutation should not take place with respect to the tithe of
potatoes. Unless the system were inquired into and-altered, he
feared the most fatal consequences to the Established Church.
Mr. DALY concurred in the sentiments of the Right Ho-
nourable Baronet. •
Mr. COOPER said a few words from under the gallery,
which were quite inaudible.
The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table. - • ,
-.Mr. CAREW presented a Petition from another Indiiidual
Tigre Holder to the same effect as the last.—Ordered to lie on
the table.
Mr. COKE presented a Petition from the Ship-Owners of
Wells, in. Norfolk, against any alteration in the Navigation
Laws; and another Petition from ,the sanie.eountb•complain-
ing of agricultural distress.—Both Petitions were prdered to
lie on the table. •

LAW STAMPS..
Mr. HUME presented a Petition from certain Law Sta-
tioners of London against the Stamp Bill now in progress
thrOugh the House. went to deprive them of a certain pro-
portion of their present allowance on Stamps—Ordered to lie
on the table.

MANSLAUGHTER BILL.
On the Report of the Bill being brought up,
Mr. BROUGHAM rose. He said it was far from his in-
tention to offer any opposition to this Bill. It possessed at least
one good tendency, and involved one acknowledged principle
of law, in departing from which the criminal- code -of .this
t hdtuone.netucci.
unequal
uil
vale
viceesd9.ut otloatlheb,
ilteu:pgrl:orlfrtace,to:rfretaiuldeoste:r7od.lfadiivii.iei
rwrsh,paiirc:iptdutennneticseehdnwloeanus.:t,
country sinned against one of the great canons of-jurispru--
al
nature-to cer..
punishmentuff u
offences.
definite offences; certain to be inflicted,and
possible, in order to the greatest economy of human life.__
(Hear q--But, at the same time, it was there
•
should be a just and true pro just as true that hLonion of punishment to
the proportion of offence. He Id not know of any one
thing that could tend more to •
.lower in public estimation-
a hench otumilmsjiall • _the • fl•
degree ot p _ m mg a greater arid less
—ln his opinion it was in the exercise ca en ± offirmces:
discretion; for he imputed no corruption in the case to
which he alluded, that punishment •was inflicted for an of-
fence, inversely in proportion to its glavityattaching to the-
,graver offence the lighter punishment, and thus confounding
all shades and distinction of crime. Nothing, he repeated was
more calculated than this to alienate from the great body of the
people-that respect and deference which they held towards 4
pure, just, and judicious administration of the law. • For
even if-there were no corruption, such a sentence 'was so gross
an error of judgment that all-persons, be their opinions in
other matters what they might, were stricken with amazement.
Such conduct, he contended, could not fail in bringing the ad-
ministration of justice into certain, although not unmerited,.-
contempt.