The Sun.
London, England, 1802-03-12 00:00:00

IMPFBIeIL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF PEERS,

THURSDAY, :MARCH 11.

THE various Bills before the House were for,
warded in their respeCtive stages.
The Earl of WILTON presented a Petition from
certain Debtors ocniined in Lancaster Jail, praying
relief, which was ordered to lie on the Table.
Some Private Business was dipos.ed of, and a
number of Witnesses were sworn.. _ _

After waiting some time in expeaation Of Bills
from the. Commons; their Lordships adjourned till
tomorrow, •

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

. .
imugSn4y, MARC.II 11.
THE Exchequer Bills Bill was read a third time
end passed.
The Indemnity Bill was read a third time and
passed.
Mr. ALEXAIIpER brought up the Report of the
Mutiny Bill, which was, agreed to, and the Bill
' was ordered to read a third time to-morrow.
Leave was given to bring in a Bill for the Re-
gulation oT His Majesty's Marine Forces while on
shore.

Mr. 1-3QOT E gave notice that he should on Mon-
- day next move for leave to bring in a Bill for com-
Felling Overseers to keep Registers of Parish Ap_
prei,;ices,
The Order of the Day being{.read for going into
Committee on the Bencoolen ettlement Bill,
M. JONES said, he approved of this Bill,
because he understood it was but the commence.
rftent of a much larger plan of Reform ; and he
hoped it was so, because he was sure, in the pre-
sent situation of the East India Company, they
ought to use every plan of reform and economy.
He had upon a former occasion stated the debts of
the Company at twenty million Sterling, and he
now had reason to think they amounted to twenty-
two million ; he was therefore glad the Right Hon.
Gentleman had brought forward the measure, and
he hoped he Would not stop here, but bring in two
or three othetoßills of a similar tendency.
The House then went into the Committee.
Colonel WOOD o).ijeaed to the Clause which
enacted that the Company's Servants transferred
from Bencoolen to Madras should not rise above a
certain rank.
Mr. lv. DLIND AS supported the Clause--,which
was agreed to. -
Mr. W. DUND AS proposed a Clouse for allowing
the Company's present Servants at Bencoolen the
alternative either of accepting the amount of their
present salaries, or of going to Madras.
Mr. METCALF objeded to this Clause —he
said it would be better to leave it to the Court of
Direaors, and he was apprehensive that this might
be converted into a precedent.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, the object of this Clause was, to prevent the
East India Company's Servants at Bencoolen from
sustaining an injury in consequence of the regula-
tions which were about to take place. The effed
of giving them, this alternative would bring the
question to the test. If they thought it more for
• their advantage to go to Madras, undoubtedly they
would go there, and not accept the other alternative;
if they were of opinion that going to Madras would
'be injurious to them, it certainly \would be hard to
deprive them of their present situations without any
miscondu4 on their I.N.itrt„ without allowing them
- some indemnity.
Mr. GOLDING said, the Company's Servants
had different kinds of Salaries, the one attached to
their rank, whi.eh was trifling ; the other attached
to their Offices, which was very considerable.
Mr. R. THORNTON was of opinion, that this
Clause would not, as had been stated, bring the
point to the test, because many of the Company's
Servants at Bencoolen, might chuse to retire, and
by this means, they would obtain Pensions, which
they would not otherwise be entitled to. ,
Mr. METC F again objected to this regula-
tion being made the subject of a Legislative Provi_
sion, because, he said, it might, upon other occa-
sions, be drawn into a precedent.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, there could be no danger of this being drawn
into a precedent, because this was a Parliamentary
Proceeding. The Court of Direaors would not,
uporfother occasions, be bound to act upon it, as a
precedent ; an appeal must be made to Parliament
tbr that purpose. It had been said, that this point
ought to be left to the liberality of the Court of
Direaors; he had as high an opinion of the Court
of Directors as any man could have, but when no
compleint had been made against the condui of
those Servants at Bencoolen, he thought that Par-
liament ought not to leave them to the discretion of
any body of men whatever.
After a few words from Mc. HoßriousE, the
Clause was agreed to, and the Bill went through the
Committee, and was ordered to be engrossed.
Mr. DICKINSON moved the Order of the Day
for going into a Committee on the Clergy Non-re-
sidence Bill.
Mr. 110BHOUSE said, he merely wished to
a"brow out- a hint upon this subjed, which he hoped
the House would think worthy of their attention.
In consequence of the Nonresidence of the Clergy,
several Qui-tame Actions were brought against them,
but Parliament interfered, and an AEI was passed to
suspend those Adions. It became then a matter
worthy of consideration, whether, as those Adions
were commenced in conformity with existing Ads
of Parliament, the Legislature ought not, in some
way, to indemnify the persons who had so commenced
them. Whatever his sentiments might be with re-
gard to Informers,, yet, as they had brought these
aUtions upon the faith of the Laws of the Land, and
as they had been put to considerable expence, he
thought they ought either to be indemnified, or
be suffered to go on with their Anions.
Mr. SIMEON concurred in the sentiments which
had fallen from the Honourable GentlemanJ who
spoke last, •
Me. JONES said, he thought they ought to
beT. irlderanified a at the same time, lie was of opi_