The Sun.
London, England, 1812-07-11 00:00:00

PALMER'S CONPENSATION BILL.

Their Lordships, pursuant to the Order of the
Ray, resolved into a. Committee on this Bill,
Lord Walsino-ham in the Chair. A discussion of
•
considerable length took place in the,Committee,
The LORD CHANCELLOR StrOngly.Arged a va=,
riety of objections against the measure, and par-
ticularly adverted to the propriety: of having had
an issue tried with fespectito the merits of the
.case, in a court of lal;v, as far preferable to the
course now adopted on the part ,of Mr. Palmer ;
and concluded by movivg to omit the first enact-
ing clause, being that for conferring the per cent-
are on Mr. Palmer.
The Earl of iNfoinn Combated the proposition
of his Noble.and Learned' Friend, and re-urged
several of his, leading arguments in support of the
measure.

The Loan CHANCELLOR spoke in exilanation,
and insisted that the grant in question could not
legally be conferred on Mr. P. for life.
The Earl of illotaA explained.

Lord HOLLAND supported the measure, and con-
tended that some of the positions advanced by the
Noble and Learned Lord, were of an unconsti.u-
tional tendency ; a sentiment which he thought
Lord Somers would support him in were he alive,
and a Member of that House.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE strongly supported
the arguments of the Noble and Learned Lord,
and referred to a variety of _detailed considera-
tions, from which he contended the claims in ques-
tion were illegal and unfounded.

. .
Lord tioLLAND, in explanation, Maintained
some of his former positions.
_

Lord ERsiciNz arsued in support of the mea-
sure.

Lord ItEDE,pALi spoke at considerable length
against the Bill, contended .that the Postmaster-
General had no. legal power to confer the office
alluded to, for life, as was illeged and strongly
argued that the great increase of the ]Post Office
Revenues Were far from' being exclusively atqi-
bu,table to the plan of Mr. Palmer, and he 'trust-
ed their Lordships would agree to the motion of
his Noble and Lerrned "Friend, .in order that the
fill might be rendered more conformable to the
state and nature of those funds, whence an allow-
ance to Mr. Palmer was to proceed.
Lord GRANTLEY shortly spoke -in favgur of the
Nth

The LORD CHANCELLOR spoke with consider, •
able 'animation and eloqqnce in reply. He most
anxiously wished that Lord Somers were in the
House, as he was confident he would feel with him,
and that that. great constitutional Lawyer would
either frighten ill-it Bill out of the House, or that
-the Bill would frighten him out of it. He conjured
the Connnittee to weigh thessubject well, and to
consider the situation of the country, When the
disbursethent of a larger sum was proposed than
was conferred' on the great Duke of Marlborough.
Lord GRANTLEY spoke shortly in explanation.
The. question Was then called for, and the •
strangers being excluded, a division took place,
For leaving out the clause
• Against it
Majority in favour of Mr. P.

The discussion continued in the Committes„ and
several divisions subsequently took Place ; but
the strangers being excluded during the whole
time, we were
fprecluded from exactly stating the
occasions of division, or the regular application of
the numbers—these,.on the second division, which
we understood took place on the clause respect-
ing the arrears, were—

For the clause as stated in the Bill 3l
Against it •
Majority -5

These, on the third division, which took place
on ,some subsequent clause or provision of the
Bill, *ere--

For the same as originally proposed
Against it
Majority in favour of Mr. P. ....---5