The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-19 00:00:00

POOR LAWS.

BP.OUGHAM also presented a petition from an indivi-
dual of London, praying that the Poor Laws might be extended
to Ireland. Ile did not, however, concur in the prayer of the
petition.—lt was ordered to lie on the table.
ISLE OF MAN.

Mr. BROUGHAM presented a petition from the house of
Keys, in the Isle of Man, which, after stating the history of
the Government of the Island by the Stanley family, and its
subsequent annexation to the Crown, proceeded to notice the
state of Representation in the • Island, which was merely what
was called virtual. It then complained of certain alleged
&buses in the Government, and called for inquiry. The Hon.
and Learned Gentleman said he did not himself vouch for the
facts stated in the petition, though he relied much on the re-
spectability of the petitioner, the signatures being headed by
tnat of the Speaker of the House of Keys. Their complaints,
however, resolved themselves into two questions—one of law,
the other as to the Government. The first had already been
fully discussed in the House in an early part of the Session,
and related to the criminal jurisdiction of the House, f Keys.
As to this, lie had the misfortune to differ from the high au-
thority of the Crown Lawyers, though he still agreed with the
petitioners. The question, however, was likely to come under
proper discussion before it legal authority. The other ques-
tion as to the conduct of the Government, arose out of cer-
tain acts of the Duke of Atboll respecting;his claims of pro-
eierty in the island. In most of them he had failed, though
he had succeeded in getting Parliament to open the bargain he
had originally made for the sale of his seignoral rights. He
had, again and again, wished to re-open the bargain ; so that',
'tea he still made claims over the people's property, he was the
-last person fitted to be their Governer. He had certain
claims to tithes, and yet, by virtue of his office, he was
sole Judge of the Court of Exchequer in which tithe causes
were decided. Another complaint was, of the uncertainty as
to the Constitutional Councils. The petitioners also com-
plained of the appointments to judicial offices. They said that
one of the Judges had been removed for his conduct on certain
proceedings against one of the Duke's servants. This man
was afterwards acquitted on his trial, and the Foreman of the
Jury was then raised to office in the Duke's household. An-
other complaint arose out of certain proceedings relative to a
riot in 1821, in the island, respecting the conduct ofthe House
-of Keys, about the Corn Laws. In the course of the trial of
one of the delinquents, a man, in open Court assaulted the
Judge, the Bailiff, and one of the witnesses. For this he was
fined and sentenced to imprisonment; and the Ihike, without
any alleged reason, pardoned the criminal. Ile had also
()barged several persons before the Exchequer, for merely in-
--oculating their children. Under these circumstances the
Moose of Keys prayed that House to cause an investigation to
be made into the mode of conducting the government of the
island, with a view to ascertain whether it had been improved-
since the Report of the year 11317, and in order that justice
might be done to them. •
- Mr. Secretary PEEL felt desirous of addressing the House,
because if it should appear that blame was attributable to those
-with whom had originated the measures complained of in the
petition presented by the -Hon. and Learned Member, he was
ready to admit that he ought to be implicated, fbr he was free to
.conlesa everything that had been done in the affair had his con-
- eteretice, or was rather done with his advice. With respect to
the charge of having omitted to include the House of Keys in
thr- disposal of criminal business, lie had; before making up his
own mind on the subject, asked the opinion of the Attorney-
General of the Island (Mr. Clarke). and subsequently those of
the legal advisers of the Crown, all of whom were unanimous
in 'their opinion that the House of Keys were not entitled to
-exercise that share in the administration of Criminal Justice,
which up to that period they had discharged ; but as that part of
the case was still under the consideration of his Majesty's Most
Hon. Privy Council, he should not say more upon it at present.
There had been bickerings between the Reuse of Keys and the
Dace of Athol for some time, but he had understood that these
parties were reconciled in 1823 ; he was therefore exceedingly
sorry to see them again coming forward with charges in that
House. Another charge brought forwiard by the petitioners
was connected with the 'removal of the Demister from his office,
but he was sorry to be obliged to state that that Officer had been
removed in consequence of gross misconduct in the discharge of
his official duty, which guilt was fully established in the course
of a judicial inquiry. That misconduct consisted in his having,
while holding the high situation of Judge of the Island, advised
a-female servant to bring an action for defamation, and also for
a years's wages, against her late master; and further, with hay-
ing; been present in a public house when those actions were
compromised
by the payment of a subs of money.—( Hear !)
In the investigation of that affair, it was clearly established that
a criminal connection existed ' between the Deeins. ter and
that
.woman, and which had continued up to the period of tne in-
quiry--a connection so unworthy of that :Magistrate, as
reed man and the father of a large family, a left to hima
Peel) no alternative but to
bear !)—With reference e him from his office.—(Hear,
also to the removal of another public...
otficer(thelate Ar tornry t
at4vidual, he
Attorney-(-treral of the Island, as we under-
hat measure also had arisen out
stood), he
of gro sS ni was
OnClo,
„boy,
,tshyoa
having been clearly
d of a ruo.t LTJa ind
CQZIVICte • ecent exposure of his

person.—( Hear, hear !)--Under these circumstances, therefore, '
he thought it very hard of the House of Keys to come forward
and complain of the removal of those individuals, and ascribe
the measures to unworthy motives.—(Dear, hear !)—He de-
clared upon his honour as a Gentleman, that in advising the
dismissal of those persons he had nothing but the public interest
in view, and the maintenance of the respectability of the Ma-
gistracy, and not the consideration whether they had or had not
rendered themselves obnoxious to the Duke of Athol. WiLII
respect to that Noble Person he felt bound to say, that notwith-
standing his having been referred to in all the disputes in which
the Isle of Man had lately been embroiled, lie (Mr. Peel) had
not discovered any tfround for complaint against the Noble Duke
for abuse of his official powers.—(Hear, Near!)
Mr. BRIGHT supported the petition. He contended that
the house of Keys, ought in justice to have been informed of
the grounds upon which their dismissal from a share in the
Criminal Jurisdiction of the Island had been decided.
Mr. HUME said, that from what lie knew of the Isle of
Man, the origin of the disputes there arose from the anomalous
duties of the Governor.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that it was an error
to suppose, that the decision with reference to the right of the
House Keys to sit upon cases of Jail Delivery, was made upon
imperfect information. They had the fullest information, and
one of the Judges of-the island, so long back as 1696, declared,
in terms, that they had no such right.
Mr. BROUGHAM observed in reply, that the charges
brought against Mr. Vaughan, the Deemster, he had heard
that night for the first time. But with reference to Mr. Robert
Cunningham, against whom the principal charge had been
made, he was authorised to state, and he did so from the fullest
conviction of its truth, that the charge against him originated
entirely in an accident. He certainly had exceeded, in his
liquor, at a festival in honour of the King's Birth-day, and in
consequence of that -the accident occurred. There certainly
was no ground whatever for charging him with an intentional
offence. As a proof of this, he had authority to state that he
had ever since the offence in question visted in all the res-
pectable families of the island, including the female part of
them ; and that he had also since been received as a visitor in
the Duke's family, also including the female part of it. The
only way that he could see of settling the disputes of the island
was by appointing some Governor whose interests did not bring
him into contact with the interests of every one in the island.n.
Mr. Secretary PE EL explained.
The petition was then ordered to lie on the table, and be
printed.
A Message from-the Lords announced their Lordships' assent
to several Public and Private Bills.
Mr. BROUGHAM said he hoped his Majesty's Ministers
in the course of the summer would institute an inquiry by Com-
mission into the matters of the petition he had just presented.
Mr. BRIGHT presented a Petition from two persons, of the
names of Kelly and Green, resident in the Isle of Man, com-
plaining of illegal treatment.
The Hon. Member also presented a petition from Bristol,
complaining of the expence of passing paupers to Ireland.—
Laid on the table.

Mr. MONCK presented a petition from Mr. Christian, late
of the House of Keys, complaining of the grievances in the
Isle of Man.—Laid on the table.

Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from Liverpool pray-
ing for inquiry into the case of the late Missionary Smith.—
Ordered to be printed.
Dr. LUSHINGTON presented a
.petition from certain
Christian people called Separatists against taking oaths.—Or-
dered to be printed.