The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-02 00:00:00

NEW PRISON, LONDON.

The same Sheriffs again appeared at the Bar
of the House, and -presented a Petition 'from the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Corporation of the
City of London, praying Mr leave to appropriate
a certain portion of the Unclaimed Dividends of
the Orpliaii Fund, towards the liquidation of the
expences attending the New Prism!.
Mr. Alderman WArrnmAN observed, that it
might he of considerable importance that the Mem-
bers for Southwark should become acquainted with
the entire nature and bearings of this Bill ; and
he therefore brgged leave to move—"'That the
Petition he laid on the table."
Mr. HoLme SUMNEU, recollecting a motion
which he had the honour of making last Session
of Parliament, for an account of the City of Lon-
don Revenue, could not help expressing his sur-
prise that this Corporation should now come to
Parliament for pecuniary aid, before it.complied
with the orders of the House for the account al.
hided to It would have been much more con-
sistent with propriety, to have first satisfied the
House on the,extent and application of the funds
now possessed by the City of London, than to
have made this precipitate demand in aid of their
circumstances. It was well known, that the City
of London had acted with uncommon shyness ;
indeed they had treated the Orders of the House
with unaccountable, perhaps culpable silence.
After a lapse of two months, no answer had been
given ; and then such an answer had been re-
ceived as was by no means satisfactory. The
House ought, therefore, now to be completely of
opinion, that the required aid should not be
granted till it received a full explanation of the
extent and application of the present Funds of the
City of London.

Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN observed, that as he
was not a Member of the last Parliament, he
hoped the Hon. Member would not attribute to
him any of the omissions or inattenti:ins of Which
he now complained. The Hon. Alderman did not
wish to go into a discussion of the subject at the
present moment. He had not taken any part in
the affair, either at the time allUded to, or at that
now under the consideration of the House. But
he was fully warranted in saying, that the City of
London had been; and were now, ready to sa-
tisfy the House regarding their Funds. He now
took the opportunity of remarking, that as the
City of London not only supported their own pri-
sons, but often also the prisons of the County of
Middlesex, they were therefore very fairly and
fully entitled to apply to Parliament for pecuniary
aid on such an emergency.
Mr. Serjeant ONSLOW said, that the statements
which were ordered by the House ought to have
been long since presented. If the Corporation of
the City of London had merely called for a local
Act, perhaps his objections to its being granted
might not have been so strong. But when the
members of that body called for an Act that af-
fected the interests of many Counties, merely be-
cause they supported more prisoners than they
were bound to do, lie should certainly give it his
decisive negative. If the Corporation supported
more prisons than they were strictly bound to
do, there were, he doubted not, corresponding
advantages which resulted from the exercise of so
much generosity.—He would oppose the prayer
of the Petition, until a satisfactory account of
its funds were laid before the House.
The Petition was then
ordered to lie on the
table.
MOCK AUCTIONS.
The SHERIFFS appeared again at the Bar of the
Common Council, of
for some law to sup-
the City of London, praying
Muse, and presented another Petition from the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and
public nuisance, as well as
to such an intolerable MockAucttons, now arrived
press or prohibit all
public
n grounds
Mr. "itiand delinquency.
Alderman \VAITHMAN thought this petition
contained
of the first public
importance. He wasaware, aware, that from its peen-
liar nature it ought, as a preliminary step, to is
of complaint
re-
ceive the concurrence of his Majesty's Ministeris.
If it were thought by them a matter of such gene-
ral utility as he had described, he was not afraid
of their consent. He would, therefore, for the
present, here propose, that the Petition should
lie on the table ; and on a future day he would
more fur the appointment of a Committee of In-
quiry.
Ordered that the Petition do lie on the table.

BILL FOR THE RELIEF OF INSOLVENT DEBTORS.

The SHERIFFS once more appeared at the Bar,
and pretenced a Petition from the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen, and Common Council, of the City of
London, praying that the Act now ::bout to ex-
pire for the relief of Insolvent Debtors should
be repealed, or not received as a law of the land.
Mr. Alderman ITAITHMAN felt that the result
of the present Petition would not be of less im-
portance than any which had perhaps ever appear-
ed in that House. It was not less pregnant with
public interest than that some days ago presented
respecting our criminal laws. Some who were
inclined to favour and support the present •Act of
which the Petition complained, might charge the
Petitioners with a want of feeling ; but he could
easily convince those who did him the honour of
attending to him, that the citizens of London
were not wanting in principles of humanity to ob-
jects of real misfortune. Without entering into
airy argument, or engrossing unnecessarily the
time of the House, he took the liberty of affirm-
ing, that no Act ever passed had been so detri-
mental to the trade and commerce of this country.
It not only afforded an easy indemnity to the dis-
honest part of the community, but held out an
encouragement to vice and profligacy of every
description. In addition to these grievances, the
Bill in its present form had totally overturned
that pride and bulwark of our Constitution, the
Trial by Jury. li, in fact, invested in the Judge
of the Insolvent Court more power than had ever
been conferred on any individual for,centuriCs past.
He possessed a muck greater authority with re-
gard to property between debtor and creditor,
than was in the exercise or discretion of the Lord

tearful r Chancellor
el.i
ti at or and the twelve Judges. iletrl:
Gentlemen not connected witb
might view the obnoxious Act with indiffere'-css
out he had such documents in his posses'i°ll'sst
would not only surprise the House at loge„.,'oo‘
the most careless observer. It ‘V #S not his
ftbe
tion to; go into a minute detail on ibis stagec,:ntles
business
; but he begged to impress uponA'er°ssc
men's minds,
that in March, 1815, an r'!"tsst,
had been presented to the House, stati°6'nt
out of eight millions sterling; as the an'Tl-1, of
the discharges.of Insolvent Debtors, tile tb°
the dividends had not exceeded one farthing('l" bsd
pound. The number at persons thus relieve oft At
equalled 9000 ; and if he stated what be
to haVe done, that their
debts far exceeded
millions, there was consequently to the weld",rweld",about one fourth of a farthing in the
Were he permitted to venture an (Ow— itoos
ri
might safely assert, that the number of Peicfso
thus relieved, would, at this time, amount I°'
otr
exceed, 14,000, including their discharge for au°,.
if not above, 15,000,000/. sterling of nraPer.ool
There was a tax of fifteen millions ext°rre‘ss .
the pockets of industrious individuals, Waite
whom had become the dopes and victims theif,
iterate adventurers. Persons who supnofte sstf
,
families by the exercise of their laudable
Ills
honest means in trade would feel the force so
observations. The Bill now mentioned wit es
outrage of the principles of morality, 5°
regarded a fair understanding between to''s to
man. It had been particularly itsjmiins°",
trade in the City of London ; and in coin"
stances had demoralized those who "(I oeit
highly esteemed for. their fair dealing sod °"f ipe
meaning. Besides the evil consequences °,,ser,
Bill now alluded to, it had operated in (0, ot
instances equally to the ruin of clisracter be° 1,10,
debtor and creditor. He appealed to th ioat
nourable Gentleman now in his eve (Mr' S:e„ipory
Onslow, we understood), who, from OS 'l'.c'elles
ant avocations, had often witnessed such solo?
as those now described. When seriouslY,ll cr.
Bering this important subject, he -might tvd.,rie"
claim—Are there no points, no hc'unto sof'
where we should make a stand ? Are we,
fer with culpable negligence, or criminal 'lid ,oe
ences such a large sacrifice of
property 6tiest rtt
rals ? Could the House be persuaded, t: if to ,
Act, affording so extended a field for doplicilci:
fraud, and for almost every species of vice, 10401.
be considered as consistent with the bl;
common honesty, Or that such an Act sha--1.9-'
countenanced by the House ?—(Hear' be° ut°i"
If any person were possessed of 5001. l'er 61111 d be
or -of the sum of ten thousand pounds, e°,tossi
be deemed an honest man if lie squawk:re." t
the whole of such property, often too, °`)e,l7o'
consequence of misfortune,
or of itnprodencwilio
Act, joo
the result of the operation the
presented to the unprincipled the ternfit,a!, pre
accumulating debts, and by transferring ollodis
petty to others, enabled him to defraud his oleo?
tors, and enrich himself by the ruin 0? °loot?:
In the extremity of despair, wady wort11):10,410
duals, whO had become the dopis d the
and designing debtors, and who had supPorte.adocet;
in their wanton prodigalities, were at last '/,.stiei
to fly to the same desperate expedients ‘o h°,
immured in the same prison with those.wbo., be:
adopted by the latter; and Were...n(oW'. 110
produced their ruin. The documents to wo
ven,
had adverted had been presented to him by 0,
Sheriffs' Officers, who could confirm their 'fits'
[Daniel-160ns by references to particular 00'41
which they ban been officially concerned. Seve',ll
principle,debtor of an h
pabominablerso a
those officers for the descriptionthemselves app
purpose of arresting "sae
in order that they mig ,ht thus sorreptitiousil
the benefit of the Act. They even went s° to
their infamous conduct as to put the instr°°/-,;ss
of arrest, the very writs, in the officers' "bef
telling which prison to take them to. Tl'`', 11104
outraged and ridiculed every moral ohligao°l"p°
put their creditors to the utmost defiance' d Uf
property thus nefariously sacrificed exceede Poo
the officers' account, one hundred thousand P° c (01
sterling ; and the dividends did not equal lie tope,
thing in the pound. He would not trot bat
House further upon the subject at preseur'
any attempt should be made to obtain a relli,e to(
of the Act, be should feel it his duty to PIL)
a Committee of Inquiry into the subject•
The Hon. W. H. LYTTLETON said, hike Icier;
concurred in the opinion of the Wortll relte
man, that while it was intended afforow ttad
to the unfortunate debtors, so wide a fie sot°
been opened for the unprincipled. He wrfrodall
that in addition to the infamous mode °'`‘, r
lent transfers of property, there was an°t"ettrats'
of great importance to the interest of the lit to
nity. He bad been informed, and believeitied to
he the fact, that tradesmen were eomPe. 00"
charge higher prices considerably than the Of
of the articles offered would justify, hecatcrits
were liable to such frauds, it became nece9" caw"
Oleos to charge such high prices, or the wit
not possibly meet their expences and WI. 00
losses. He hoped that when the measnre 000
under the consideration of the House sonle "to e°
would be discovered by which the utif°r`e 601$
debtor might be relieved, and at the, 091
afford protection to the community at largen‘refell:
Mr. BROUGHAM was unwilling, on the uertlifir
occasion, to enter into any discussion concaoases
the merits of the Petition now before. the
He could not, however, remain in silence' s
ed
his Hon; Frieud (Mr. Alderman
vanced the doctrines which had now falleoooo
him. He hoped his Hon. Friend %void(' %Pc/
him if he (Mr. Brougham) considered it I°ooo
not to allow such statements to go into Eh% rigtl
try without entering his protest. If a oil
were made of the present and former 10,19:4
now under consideration would be fonoc'
most salutary nature. If it had beets in ro°loos
stances injurious to trade, as was asserted,
cb
were to blame who had given credit to s°oolll
jurious amounts, knowing the consequences „Ours
Act. Gentlemen were mistaken as to the °
of the Act. It had been the prodilet i
J
united wisdom of several Gentlemen. It `soo
qls hoilj
Redesdale's Bill ; and bad been thought bYcepfee
Houses so complete a system, as to have les, its(
little or no amendment. The Bill would n°‘00111;
the wisdom of experience, and might coogegodst '
receive several amendments, so as L 4)

fin
rai,

ea,
Dr,
cio

obi

hi(
61,,,
Ilet,

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(),.(sits
?.11,

in,•7" Palatable to the Public. It was easy to
"e a clamour against such an Act=—inuch more
easy than tofran,- it. He not only entered his
w~~e't against the doctrines held out by the
iy Alderman, but he 'promised his support
t° e measure when qualified by the requisite
tl'len:1111"ts• The worthy Alderman talked atonal
iii waerifice Of property to the amount of 15 mil, 'o"sterlin He would be glad to learn if the la
Ildilinos tvZid have been saved, had the present
11,:t been carried into a law ?. His worthy Friend
4", wandering widely, he was afraid, trom, the
tila' state of the question ; and Mr. Brougnani
li°,64't it absolutely necessary that his observa
%:).'s' however lunch be might regard him, should
I,,,liteCsot.forth to the public, without at least his
llt
!,4h! Petition was ordered to lie on the table.
tic :e• Alderman WAITHMAN persisted in his opi-
)s; and moved, that. there be laid before the
f
11114 e an Account of the Number and Names 0 he Persons discharged by the InsolVent Bill, de-
ft
amount the amount of their Debts arid Dividends
. v la the latest period.—Ordered.
nit WESI`mINSTER HUSTINGS 1311. L.
toy ..CouRTENAY presented the Report of the
asd fierier'- upon the Westminster Hustings Bill,
Mr, rd that the saute be read to-morrow.
bra lititaa hoped that the Hon. Member would
ttavell.!ess the reading of the Bill, for he codne:
le q there were sonic circumstances that
I):l'ilttred inquiry. • He - expected to have several
lies,l.l"s to present Oil the subject, and he be-
iata..,' be should be enabled to prove that there
o
tle-ve,a antple funds with which the expellees t
thelll,'l.l;it'etions ought to be paid. The nature of
yi
blurt now endeavoured to be hurried through triiise ‘,,,,,, hostile to the principles oft th
o,
We Constitution, and by which the Cityfroth
t
ss 51411snster was rendered totally different
. Y othe
'1 ft r place in the United Kingdom. Upon
''tat •
of three Candidates
latit:, occasion, one the . espy ee.ttcharaed 9001. as his proPcnt'n.
~,,e
4 'P' which, according to this Bill, world
th,:ii
t•o'e imposed ;mon every Canditiliateoffietahlei
1,44 er, iler for that City. He believed the
Z'il. daPter of Westminster, under whom the
i, ie ti,4peted, mssessed ample funds which should
\ ri)at'lll•;°Ptialled to this purpose ; he theretto7l
s,!ter:t. lost before the Bill was passed, it
.7o 1
b Th".4"l to a Conimittee for further inquiry. a
17;11, The.
", cl• GREY BENNPT said, that in
.161,0...
t.
"'-au-'4.11 wits ',lvry on the eve of expiring, hat
Ca,;(4,isrled, having for
.its object to regulate the
1; " of the Election. As for the exp,...,ri7hest
tint
1)01ille l'i the Candidates, it e, Is est .
1 'S'll°- a measure was intended to prevent any
ks.;''''''fiZi front motives of obstinacy or resei,t-
-"t did.- extend the utmost period.
ssed
poll to the
l'' know Dean and Chapter.posse
.‘-
11b,14`ts th,A; , tlw
he aL
ilitilita 1 - cable to soco purpose, nor was
riots
4ite„st".4 with ~,,,, law that imposed the exp_e
He
4111;;Itli*Itlie Election uPon'the I-Igb Bailiff.
Ilttlve'4,elt'd that the Act might be renewed for
L'ateentils 1 rer
ttitlt'iltiottwata osant'd, it was, incumbent upon the
for Elections ;
tt),NtC,,‘Provide a proper
place
that the expences
the 11 t,licnirrary to
eke 'at. I(l)ciii the lunsLeate. He would ask
Candidate.
ther the doubt that was
.41.rpt4)„t'rti til.,tiernaill„'," fundse
tinder the confront
'as -"st, '"Ptr''''''' . not a SllffiCi, of rea-
ils -anti Chapter was
411111'44h' I ' Imderate delay bhould be ac-
e4l.'rt l'c
1 a
ll t found that no sach funds
ter, e 'the n, should 'e
conceived
the expences should be
orh(' n Ile of ‘Vestininster. Uri-
c, these Y_ the inhabitants
h
lzi,4,4,titiciitiostatices,i-i-ee
reading
of the Bill-
eLii" l'ilV. It) Pr"isssterved, he thbugnt it w'luld
usvat:lir:44).r tht:el3x7:noce-s to fall on the inhabitants ;
,it C " to bitn, that they should be defrayed
0 14It f..,3nditlateS.
qit el: '. WYN'tIR could not see
dat,,l'hces should be any reason why
.
paid either by the Candi-
-14 ii %-r the High Bailiff; both acted in obedience
5,1.'e .aie„, - . „ High Balla' would
t iiiti,i h $ writ, and the
.1
LI e to a fine, it he did not pay obedience to
d tor the et;tl,oo,ght, as the expences were inctitire
:,.4e,„hcnent of the represented, there shouldr be
• -iti s',,e,--' tax levied throughout the City of IN est tre,,'t '''' for that purpose, who, in that case, could
Nisa(l?""oatient building for the business.,. .
•
~tl, ,1 degasIl TENNYSON, Member for Grimsby.:
0t0,,i,i 'ai Candidates for Westminster welt, Ites,ft forward against their consent, the ex-
kr° should ht, home by the parties. , .
Ititt, :bahatast said, he himself telt the difficulty;
tirel,,Peet to the Bill, he confessed himself
. en-i
44' Ignurant of its provisions, and lie believed
Litlfeo 41ere few much better informed than him-
Ll' lie,:he subject, There was but one partien-
Re ~, -last submit to the attention of the House:
alst,„4li ignorant of the law on the subject, and it
''',d r, 1 • • belble that, if tile
, Alt iti
... . ton quite intxp ~ , Ilat, 4,,ft could recover his expenses by an ae*
Act St
oil law, what- reason existed for any further
The the
e subject ? ..
141. e i
U"n• G BONNET,--Why, because the
11Viiii shortly expire.
11411„,' 1-/Etamata eontioned.--If then the Law i 6
It•iti%"` to expire, that is the strongest argument to
lkf -e, and not to proceed ill a hasty manlier ; it
, IN
~ ,
% • " be giving it the effect of an ex post facto
vr
Th, ,
the don. G. BENNET said, be merely proposed
4oe ehttottance of the Act for one year ; it did
)Ite%ir any r
er,es emblance to an ex post facto law;
1),I "lemif he would refer to the Statute
cot ' (bight inform himself of its nature. He did
ti„erceive any cause for delay ; as to the Yeti-
sito which an Hon. Member had alluded,lie
tt,„beved he should he enabled to give a.satisfac-
al,,,,4osWer to them, and he felt the more confi-
-01;i because lie had had an interview with one
Lt: Principal Petitioners.
111,
tv" AeHarateTota proposed, that instead of
litirri t()1d ''
litetdaY,'' the Bill should be read a
tole on Fr: l' • next.
Air u , a 4)• nex
3hte (; ' SUMNER asked whether the Honour-
' tile „eitletnan would consent to the renewal of
1)111 until the Ist of April, 180 t
Ce,;lle "On. C. BasztauT replied, that the Hon.
(14t.tsetusti had selected rather an unfortunate day
iti :e. termination ; he would, however, agree to
N'r.n.g it to the 15th of May'
e‘,„duChata expressed himself surprised at the
0ta,,,,,L4 4 the Hot]. Gentleman. Upon other
?Asalc,u3i 3 he was the first to institute inquiry, anti
Y 4) contend agaiust the course be had

adopted ; for what was the present proceeding but
" getting the Bill passed, and inquiring . after-
wards ?"

The Bill was then ordered to be read a third
time to-morrow.
BANK RESTRICTIONS.

Mr. S. WJRTLEY presented a Petition from
certain Traders, Manufacturers, and persons re-
siding in Leeds, stating, they conceived the pre-
sent was not a convenient season for the resump-
tion of Cash Payments by the Bank of England ;
that such a measure would, be prejudicial to the
trade of the country, affect the rates of Pxchange
against this country, and praying that its consi-
deratinn might be postponed until a future period.

Mr. TIERNRV wished to be informed whether
this Petition was the, result of a public -meeting,
because he had received a letter from Leeds com-
plaining that such a petition had been handed
about privately;. and as he understood Bankers
were concerned in the matter, it was easy to con-
ceive that persons who had received accommoda-
tions might be influenced to sign such petitions.
He wished, as be understood some other Peti-
tions were to be presented, that they would
be ontained at the present time, because he would
examine whether they were not exact copies of
each other.

Mr. S, WORTLEY S31(1, the Petitioners were per--
sons of respectability, and the Bankers had no
concern whatever in the business.

Mr. TIERNEY thought the names of some of
the Petitioners were similar to the Bankers of
that city ; perhaps the Hon. Gentleman could in-
form him who those persons were.
Mr. S. WORTLEY replied, they are sons of the
bankers.
Mr. TIERNEY thanked the Hon. Gentleman
for communicating more information than he ex-
pected,—The Petition was ordered to lie on the
table.

CUTLERY BILL.

Mr. S. WoRTLEY brought in a Bill to regulate
the Cutlery Trade.—Read a first time, and or-
dered to be read the second time on Wednesday
next.