The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-12 00:00:00

MAD-HOUSES REGULATION BILL.

The Marquis of LAssoow'NE adverted to the
Madhouses Regulation Bill, which lay before
their Lordihips for a third reading. With the
principle and object of the Bill he cordially Agreed ;
he doubted not a similar feeling pervarkd their
Lordships. After dwelling with nmeli feeling on
the unhappy situation of the miserable beings the
measure was intended to protect, and the neces-
sity for some regulation, he proceeded to observe,
that the Bill in question went farther than was
necessary or a4isable ; it went to legislate rela-
tive to circumstances of peculiar delicacy, and
went to the enactment of a variety of regulations
by far too minute. He therefore thought it pre-
ferable to afford an opportunity in the next. Session
oil ParliAment of hrint:ing torivard a measure upon
the subject, free from the prejudicial regulations
which the present contained, andiii other respects
of a less excel). ionable nature. His Lordship con-
cluded by moving, that the Bill be read a third
time that day three months.
Lad BATHURST agreed with the Noble Marquis
in thinking thai some revisal of the existing laws
upon the subject was necessary. He also thought
the present Bill went too much into minute de-
tail; and he expressed- his satisfactiou that the
Noble Marquis, who was 50 competent to do it
justice, had given his earnest atteotiou ,to are
subject.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE expressed similar sen-
thneuts with the foregoing Noble Speaker. He
particularly disapproved of the different sets of
Commissioners with a concurrvnt jurisdiciton, and
added his opinion, that a principle should be at-
tended to in legislating upon this particular sub-
ject, namely, that it was properethose who had the
immediate management of these unhappy persons,
should be looked op to by them as having the ul-
timate column,.

The Bill was ordered to be read a second time
:his day three months.—Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

About a quarter before four the House was summoned to
attend in the House of Peers. On their return the Speaker
announced that the Royal Assent had been given to several
public and private Bills.—(See Lord's Report.) -
A Message from the Lords announced that their Lordships
had agreed to the Navy Agents Bill, the. Savings Banks Bills,
and pine other Bills, without any amendment...
Another Message requested front the House a Copy of the
Report of the Select Committee on the Poor Laws.

PAPER CURRENCY. • -
Mr. P. ORENFELL intended to offer a few observations,
had the Right Ron. the Chancellor of the F.xchegoes 'been in
his place, but the subject was so important that he would
still make them, in the hope that they would he conveyed to
that Right Hon. Gentleman be some of the Members oppo-
site. It was a subject on which a very great difference of opi-
nion had utistcd, and on which many. emitient men were still
di*ided. He alluded to the Paper Currency of the country.
He would not then enter into any discussion whether this had
done more vnod or evil ; his object merely was to call the at-
tention of. his Majesty's Government to it. He wished, Mat
in the approaching recess they wenid so take it into their con-
sideration as that kutue measure might hr adepteff which
would give the Public a greater po"rtion of the protitt; of the
paper currency than they now enjoyed. This was the more
necessary now, as, by the monogemeot, somewhere).- he Pub-
lic within the last three years had begun to get a taste for
paper currency almost in preference to geld. He merely
1 Welt, out this as a suggestion, which he hoped his Majesty's
Ministers would take into their consideration.

Mr. LUSIIIINGTON said, that the absence of his Right'
Hon. Friend (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) would he ac-
td :uteri for by the motion Which he (Mr. L. wasjust about
to make. He then ward, that the Speaker du issue his

Mr. 13ENNET'I' was sensibh of the necessity of withdraw-
ing the petition at present, hot he should feel it his duty to
bring it forward next Session.

THE LATE MR. PONSONBY.

Mr. LAM B rose, evidently much affected, and
said, that in moving to fill.up the vacancy in the.
Representation, occasioned by a late afflicting'
event, the death of Mr. Ponsonby, it -was due
to the character of him whom they had lost,
not to pass it by in the usual manner. Soma tri-
bute was due to the memory of the dead, and it.
was mit less. required by the feelings of the living.
It was not by those alone who were bound. to him
by the „ties of blood or friendship, but briall the
Members Of that House, and large proportion
of the community, who had no opportunities of
knowing him but by his share in the Parliamentary
discussions, that the loss of Mr. Ponsonhy was
deplored, and never, on any former occasion,
frequent and mournful as they of late had been,
never had there been displayed more unequivocal
symptoms of heartfelt sorrow.—.(l-lear, hear !)
_He should not enter into details of Mr. Ponsonby's
life its this country, which had been in the public
eye, and for the public service, nor of his life in
his own country, with the details of which he
was little acquainted. Greatly was he distinguished
in the Irish Parliament; so eminently admired at
the Irish Bar, that when be was% called to the
office of Lord Chancellor in that country in
180 G, at a time when party feelings ran high; and
when appointments were canvassed w ith the
greatest asperity, a murmur of disapprobation was
never raised against the choice whisk selected Mr.
Ponsonby to fill the highest judi:ial situation.—
That situation he filled with unquestionable ability
and integrity. When he left that high office, he
Was placed in a situation in that House, which it
would be. improper for him. to designate more dis-
tinctly, but which they would all understand.
He filled that station during a time of great im-
portance, of great difficulty, of great embarrass-
', [swot, under all the aspects which human affairs
• could assume, and during that time it would be
admitted by his political enemies, as well as his
political friends, that be conducted himself with
prudence, temperance, liberality, and discretion.—
(Hear !)—To an ardent love of liberty, and an
anxious zeal to defend and maintain it, he joined
the utmost simplicity of character, which coin-
tromicated itself to his manly eloquence, and
this, still combined with the conviction entertained
in the House anal the country of the, sincerity of his
professions, and the soundness of his views, ob-
tained for him that confidence which had often
been denied to more studied and ambitious ora-
tory. It was impossible that persons who con-
curred with Mr. Portsoitby -in. general principles,
in acting with him for so long a course of years,
should not differ front him in their views of the
application of those principles to particular tnea-. •
sures, the various biasses", the different pursuits,
views, passions and feelings of men, would occa-
sion differences which it was impossible either to
compromise or reconcile. It was sometimes time
lot of Mr. Ponsoaby to differ front those who
loved him 3 but those who did not. assent to his
opinions, -always bore testimony to the care
and sincerity with which those opinions were.
formed. He had said thus much, nut in the vain
hope of adding any thiog to the tame of Mr. Pon-
sonby, but to do justice to his own feelings., Mr.
Ponsonby was an honour to the family front which
he sprung, and to the country which gave him
birth, fertile as that country was in men of great
talents, civil and military. They had • lost him
not in the Most difficult times, they could not say
in tempore luctuosissimo 'rei public e3xtinctus, but
it was at a time when they' might have derived
benefit from snch a mind. The loss was increas-
ed by their having so lately seen him in full vigour
and in possession of all his faculties, and when,
from his- time ol life, not very advanced, it seem-
ed probable that he Might enjoy them for many
years.—While in full health he was struck by the
hand of God. To those who remained, it was an
awful lesson, and he hoped they would trot lose
the best means of profiting by it, by imitating
the integrity of his conduct, the purity cif

Mr. LUSHINGTON said; there Were precedents for the
grant in the Votes for the repair of Milford Haven, ef Chat-
ham Lines, and song others. Great public objecit oneti
could not otherwlse be attained ; the grant was absolutely ne-
cessary to prevent a lots of ships and lives.
Mr. CALCRAFT said, he had been misunderstood as har•
ing objected to the Grant. This Was not the case. He wish-
ed to have the Report in possession of the House before they
proceeded to-discuss the Grant. He was now of opinion, ou
looking at the Report, that the Grant was necessary.
After a few, words from Mr. CROKER, the rote wai
agreed to.