Star.
London, England, 1831-03-18 00:00:00

Tvactwo THE ZING'S GUARD.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY considered it right to stand up
in his place in support of military authority, and to inquire of his
noble friend the General Commanding in Chief, whether certain state-
ments lately promulgated, relating to a resistance of military order by
a great officer of the state, were founded in fact ? The noble marquis
thought some explanation necessary to satisfy the military profession
and the public. He alluded to the Lord Chancellor's forcing the
King's Guard, at the Horse Guards, on the last Drawing-room. The
affair had been generally circulated in the journals, but he did not rely
on those sources of information. It appeared that one of their lordships
was passing at the time, and it did occur to that noble person that
something did occur, in short the noble marquis had no doubt the
King's Guard was forced by the mace. (Laughter.) He would ask the
Commander-in-Chief whether it was true that the guard at the gates of
the Horse Guards was forced by the Lord Chancellor at the Drawing.
room? Secondly, whether it was the effect of mistake, or intention ?
Thirdly, whether the officer who allowed his gate to be forced had been
placed under arrest, or whether the officer and men were blameless ?
Lord HILL—I beg to state to your Lordships the circumstance
alluded to by the noble marquis. In 1815, an order was given by his
late Majesty, relative to the arrangements to be made In the Park on
the occurrence of her Majesty's birtluday. By that order it appeared
that no carriage could enter the Park by the Horse Guards on the birth-
day. The officer on duty had orders to let no carriage but the
Speaker of the House of Commons. The sentinel sta at the gates
of the Hone Guards consequently stopped all carriages. When the
carriage of the Lord Chancellor lately came to the gate, the sentinel
held up his hand, but the coachman, without regarding the signal to
stop, drove within the gate. The sentry then seised hold of the reins of the
near horse, during the time the carriage was going on, and made the coach-
man stop. The Lord Chancellor then inquired the reason they detained
him there ? The corporal on duty said it was their orders to do so.
The Lord Chancellor then desired the officer of the guard to be sent
for. The officer came to the carriage, and the :Lord' Chancellor first
asked of the officer if he knew who he wm ? The officer said yes. The
Chancellor then said why am Ito be detained. The officer answered,
My orders are, that no carriage is to go through this gate but the
Speaker of the House of Commons in his state carriage. After some
conversation the Lord Chancellor said, then, Sir, I am to understand I
am not to go through. The officer replied, yes, Sir, it is so. The Lord
Chancellor then said, go back ; and the officer moved his hand to the
sentry to let go the reins of the b ism. The coachman, finding his
hones at liberty, put them into mottos, and went through into the park.
The conviction on my mind is, that the sentinel and corporal did their
duty, and that the coachman did not hear the order to go back. lam
quite sure, said the Noble Lord, that the Chancellor had no idea of
doing wrong.—( Hear, hear.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he had not entertained the
slightest suspicion that the noble marquis would have brought forward
this matter in the way it had been introduced. He could have wished
the noble marquis bad brought it forward any other day in the year.
One person had just been brought to the bar for Meath of privilege ;
and it really looked Ilike putting him (the Lord CriatTellor) upon his
trial for an outrageous attack on the military : (laughter.) He was,
however, obliged to the noble marquis for his anxiety about the facts,
and certainly was thankful to the noble Commander-in-Chief fir, hie
explicit statement, which he should confirm. He ought to assure
their lordships that no person in existence cared less for the stein
and dignity of his office than himself. Indeed, that was the pen 1
of his office which gave him most uneuiness. It was not on the grown'
of any foolish wish to drive through the Horse Guards, instead of
going along Piccadilly and Constitution-hill. His object was to save
time. He had been sitting to a late hour in that house for the purpose
of saving the parties in a cause 801. or 1001. expense, and he recollected
that he could get through the Horse Guards to the drawing room,
having been that way before. At the Horse Guards he was stopped,
and told that none but the Speaker of the House of Commons and
Lord Shaftesbury could pass. The noble and learned lord thought
there must be some mistake. Ile supposed Lord Shaftesbury must
mean the Speaker of the House of Lords. Lord Shaftesbury was
chainran of committees, and the Lord Chancellor Speaker of the
Lords, and thus the mistake, as he supposed, must have occurred.—
Tbe officer, however, said he must go back, and taking it for granted
that he could not go forward, he gave orders to return, but was never
more surprised in hislife than he was to find the coachman drive through
the gateway. Before he could recover from his surprise, and pull the
string they were in the park, and it was then useless to go back. The
noble and learned lord concluded by assuring the house that nothing
could be more unexceptionable than the conduct of the officers and men
on duty when his carriage was detained.
Lord FIFE presented a petition from the Royal Burghs of Banff, for
Parliamentary Reform.
The Church Building Bill was read the third time and passed.
The House then Adjourned.
HOUSE OP COMMONS.

Owing to there beingthrees-ialitmsliedft; today, namely, for
Colchester, Galway, and Liverpool, the gallery, was not opened till half-
past five o'clock ; the two first ballots only however, were obtained—
that for Liverpool still remains to be ballotted for.
The names of defaulters on former ballots were called over, and Mr.
Howard was ordered into the custody of the Serjeant at Arms, he not
answering to his name, and there being no excuse for him made.
Mr. O. DAWSON obtained leave to bring in a bill for Wiling cham-
bers in Dublin, for the accommodation of attorneys there.
Lord STANLEY obtained leave to bring in a bill to settle disputed
tithes at Ashton-under-line. Also for a bill to endow St. Beidget's
church, Liverpool.
Mr. SAW brought in the bill to enable the Irish inland navigation
com to sue and be sued.—Read a first time.
pany
Mr. DUNCOMBE obtained leave to bring in a bill to enable the
Yorkshire life and fire insurance company to sue and be sued.
Mr. HODGES presented a petition from the western division of
Kent, namely, Rochester, Re. in favour of the 'ministerial measure of
reform.
Mr. BERNAL, with great pleasure, supported the prayer of the
petition.
Mr. H. TWISS complained of having been much misrepresented in
what he had observed on the Reform question. He had never men-
tioned the middle classes—they were never present to his mind—but be
had objected to giving so mucb prepondetating influence to householders

of from 101. to 201. He had also objected to the inferior attorneys--
those who would have PO much influence under the Lord Chancellm'a
County Courts bill having increased influence, because be bad found
that they and the inferior shopkeepers were the most exposed lo corrupt
Influence. As to the middle classes. • class to whisk 00 Imi"Wed' he
had never thought of saying anything to their dbpantelMelat.—but he
admitted that he had spoken of the inferior attorneys sod abapiteepers.
His language had been much perverted in and (nit of timbals* and he
mentioned tile circumstance to show the sort of independence that was
displayed on this question.
Mr. HODGES then Inesented similar petitions train Ramsgate,
Deal, &c.
Mr. J. MARTIN presented a petition from Tewkesbury in favour of
the ministerial plan of reform. The petitioners most heartily concurred
in the bill. He did the same. He was assured that their prayer was
for:the whole bill. " and nothing but the hill." (Hear and a laugh
from several members.)
Petition ordered to lie on the table.
Sir M. S. STUART presented petitions from merchants, be. of
Glasgow, Port Glasgow, Greenock, &c. against the proposed timber
duties. Also a petition from Glasgow for the repeal of the duty on
posting, &c.--Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr LRAM KECK presented a petition front Loughborough in
favour of the ministerial plan of Reform. lie should support the
second reading of the bill, and its going into a committee; but he
should bold himself at liberty to act according to what might take
place in such committee. He also presented a petition from the old
licensed victuallers of Loughborough, complaining of the deficiency of
magisterial controul in the licensing of public and beer houses.—Ors
der to lie on the table.
Mr. EVANS presented a petition from Leicester, in favour of the
ministerial plan of Reform, although the plan would disfranchise the
largest number of out-voters that belonged to any city. He presented
similar petitions from Mowbray, and other places in Leicestershire. lie
afterwards postponed the second reading of the Stage Coaches`Bill, till
April 20.
Mr. HUNT presented • petition from Great Austin, near Boston,
Yorkshire, for Parliamentary? Reform and Ballot. It was agreed to
before the ministers' measure was known. Heals° presented a petition
from the Political Union of Worcester, in favour of the ministerial
measure. lie next presented a petition for inquiry into the Man.
cheater massacre of 1819. He was a witness of those murders, and he
hoped it was not too late to get justice for those horrid murders. He
recollected that Governor Wall was hanged twenty years after the mur-
der of which he had been guilty. (Hear.) lie afterwards mentioned
that the parish of Christchurch, Surrey, consisting of 12,000 persons,
was left out of the plan of Reform, he was persuaded unintentionally.
Lord A LiTHORP was not aware of the circumstances of the case,
but if the parish came within the general principle of the plan, it un-
doubtedly ought to be considered.
Colonel BERESFORD presented a petition from the Mayor and
some of the inhabitants of Berwick.upon.Tweed, agaihst the measure
of Reform as proposed by his Majesty's Ministers. The hon. member
urged the prayer of the petition with a shirt address.
Sir F. BLAKE, we believe, and one of the members for Berwick, i
stated that he had had an intimation that a petition, signed by a
number of the corporation and many influential burgesses of Berwick,
approving of the plan of Reform, would be transmitted to him to be
presented to the house.
Vol. SI BTHORPE wished that the second reading of the Reform
bill could be deferred beyond Monday, the day named, as he had se-
veral petitions to present which he could not find an opportunity to lay
before the house; and he otherwise expressed a wish that the time for
presenting petitions should be extended till eight o'clock.
Colonel DAVIS moved for a Select Committee on the means to give
efficacy to secondary punishments. The Gallant Member, on introduce
hag his motion, went into a long detail to prove that in general prisoners
for offences in the House of Correction fared better than agricultural
labourers who followed their avocations, and that the comforts of the
House of Correction were generally superior to that of a workhouse.
He advocated solitary confinement as being more efficacious than that
of hard labour on the tread-mill. After reading some documents to
prove the state of cue in which the convicts lived in New South Wales,
be proceeded to say, that his object was to make the prisons, instead of
a place of joy—and New South Wales, instead of a place for fortune
making, places of real punishment. (Hear) lie should now move for
a select Committee to inquire into the means of giving efficiency to se-
coodary punishments.
Mr. LAMB did not rise to offer any objection to the molon.'lle
apprehended, however, that the difficulty of providing a remedy to the
present defects in our system was greaterthan apprehended by the gal.
lent officer. He admitted that the rigours of the prisons might have
been too much softened by the humanity of individuals and the Legis.
lature; this was a natural transition from the horrible state in which
they were a few years ago.—(Hear.)--With respect to solitary confine-
ment, besides the prisoners being perhaps too numerous fur its adop.
Son, he doubted whether it would have the desired effect. Transports.
don :offered to the reformed culprit the means of acquiring an honest
liveliboodi; above all, it removed dangerous men at a safe distance from
the honest part of the community. Ile could not agree that it
tan considered a slight punishment; he remembered that durir.g his
praedee at the bar, it was the sentence which was received by the
culprits with the most horror. He could assure them that unjust
applications were received from many of the transported for leave
to return to their native country. (Hear.) Having offered these
few observations, he should give his cordial support to the motion.
Mr. HUNT would never fail to rise when the question related to pd.
tors. He considered no punishment more effective than that of soll.ary
confinement; a few months of solitary confinement he looked upon as
equivalent to as many years of hard labour. At present, that punish-
ment was inflicted entirely at the will of the gaoler. The treadmill
was unequal in its punishment, being a mere sport for those accustomed
to eked the fields, but a perfect torture for poor tailors, or mechanks.
With respect to transportation, why were not all those condemned
to it transported forthwith ? The expense of the hulks was im.
mense. It was, besides, • subject of great dissatisfaction among the
men in the dockyards of Plymouth, to be obliged to work side by
side with the convicts. He repeated that solitary confinement was
the most severe punishment. This was the one selected for
Reformers some years back ; for those who petitioned for what
would now be called moderate reform. This reminded hint of a horrible
instance of cruelty. Two brothers were confined at York for pol•tical
oft*ences, in separate dungeons; one of them, unable to bear the punish.
ment, cu• his throat; and the other was then thrust by the ruffianly
gaoler into the cell where the bloat, of his brother was still flowing, that
the sight might add horror to his solitude. (Cries of " No.") lie
said it was so. Visiting magistrates knew nothing of what was carried
on in the interior of the prisons. He could state as a fact, that at
cheater gaol a child was born to the gaoler by a female, placed by him
in solitary confinement, and was in existence in the prison during six
years without the visiting magistrate having a knowledge of the &cum.
stance. In the case of females, he should require that when in solhary
confinement they should be under the guard of persons of their own sex.
Sir E. SUG DEN said, that it was outrageous that a member should
say that a reformer had been dragged by his gaoler into the place
where the blood of his brother was still flowing. No man could be.
here a wind of that. (Hear, from Mr. Hunt.) He challenged the
hon. member to bring it forward. With respect to the visiting ma-
gistrates, he had been one himself ; as such, he had explored every
recess—attended the complaints of every individual. What be had
done tens of thousands had done. He knew not how the hon. mcm.
ber could reconcile the horrible tragedy of York with his eulogium
of solitary confinement. No punishnunt was so unequal as this—
having little effect on some, and driving others to despair. lie gave
his cordial support to the motion for inquiry.
Mr. HUNT explained. Ile had been challenged to bring the fact
he had stated before the house--lie tat,! done so ; he sent up petitions at
the time • a Commission was sent down to ilehester, and the gaoler
was discharged. (Cries of" York.") The lion. Member had spoken
of Ilehester gaol. (No," from S,r E. Sugden.) You did speak about
lichee:cr.
The SPEAKER called Mr. Hunt to order.
Mr. HUNT begged pardon, and said, the. with respect to York, •
petition on the subject was sent at the time, in 1816 or 1817.
Mr. SUMNER thought the inquiry proposed would be highly teed,
and should support it. The regulations of prisons one at present too
lenient towards prisoners. lie had seen instances in which se•litary
confinement had produced the moat powerful and excellent effects.
Mr. Alderman WOOD thought all the arguments were in favour of
inquiry. Every thing that had been stated of Dehester gaol, by the
Member for Preston, who was then a prisoner in that gaol, was denied
by the county members in that house ; ard when he made a motion for
inquiry, he was accused of neglecting his own duty as a itlagietrate, to
censure the conduct of others. The house, however, granted an in-
quiry, and it was then proved, that every thing said by the hon.
member for Preston was strictly true ; that the gaoler was in
the habit of putting prisoners in chains, and rutting blisters on
their heads, merely because they refused to obey his commands.
The expense of transportation was complained of ; but it was the
expense of the hulks that ought in be complained of; ard as the
convicts there, when let out, returned again to their evil courses
and were again committed to the hulks. The Penitentiary had cost
the nation several millions ; and the way the Governors attempted to
get a character for theft discipline was to go to Newgate and 14.1, et the
prisoners of the best character for their experiments ; and aßer all two.
thirds of them came back to Newgate. He was confident the only
effectual means of ridding the country of such characters was transpor-
tation ; and ninety-nine out of a hundred were willing to go, and by
sending them all, the expense of Hulks and Penitentiary might be
saved.
Sir CHARLES BURRELL thought it irrelevant to go back to
circumstances which happened many years ago, and which could nut
occur again, in consequence of the improved regulations of prisons.
Mr. Howard had approved of solitary confinement, but it lost its effect
as practised in many prisons, because though the prisoners were not
allowed to see each other, they were placed within hearing and allowed
to commune. He agreed with the hon. alderman, that sending convicts
to the hulks, from which they were often discharged in a year, instead
of transporting there, was an injury to the public.
Mr. SHAW said be had seen the best effects from solitary confine.

meet; bat thought it should never tweed a fortnight. He cord ally
supported the motion for inquiry.
The resolution was agreed to, and the Committee appointed.
Sir W. RAH moved that leave be given to bring in a bill to faci-
litate the transfer of heritable seenrities in Scotland —Leave given.
Mr. CURTEIS postponed hit motion for the repeal of the n a't
tax to the 18th of April.
Mr. S rUART WORTLEY raid, the bill of which he had given
notice wax intendtd to regulate the fees of officers in India. which its
many instances had risen to a height that war never contemplated
The Registrar of Bengal received in fees front that office about 20.0001.
besides which he held several other offices. Hr proposed that a res•on-
able salary should be paid to each officer, and that if it should bethought
proper to continue the fees. the aurplu. should be applied to the ex-
penses of government. The honourable gentleman moved, that leave
be given to bring in a hill to regulate the fen of officers of Courts of
India, and to prevent the clerks of the judges acting as attorneys.
Mr. C. GRANT said he readily gave his consent to the bringing
of the bill. reserving to himself the ridtt of objecting to its details.
The resolution was agreed to.
The Sugar Duties Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed to-morrow.

The Interpleader Bill passed through a Committee. Report this
day week.
The Witnesses Examination Bill was committed. Report tn.
morrow.

The Prohibition and 3landamus Bill was committed. The report
was brought up, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-
morrow.

The Arbitration Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted on Wednesday.
Lord SANDON presented a petition from Tiverton, la favour of
the plan of Reform proposed by 'Ministers.
The other orders of the day wete then disposed of, and the House ad-
journed at Half-past Eleven o'clock.

SUPPORT OF AIINISTERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.
SIR,—I have perused Lord John Russell's glorious Re-
form Bill with all the satisfaction which must be felt by
every lover of his country —hut while I thus express my
general enthusiastic admiration of that great measure, shall •
I be excused for saying that in one little particular I was
disappointed. In anxiously looking over the schedule in
which are specified the townships and boroughs to which
the elective franchise is now to be extended, I was much
mortified to find that the town in which I reside, and in
which I need not tell you, Sir, my progenitor, whose
name I bear, once flourished, and even aided the regal
revenue by his wealth, is still denied a representation
The town I allude to, Sir, is that of Newbury, in Berk-
shire. In that township, and its adjoining parish, Speen-
ham Land (the Spinse of Antoninus) there are more than
8,000 inhabitants. It is the central point for internal com-
merce of an extensive agricultural district, and its corn
market is one of the largest and best attended in England.
Surely then, Sir, this town should not have been omitted—
and when it was determined to take one Member from the
comparatively insignificant borough of Wallingford, in the
same county, thatjone might without impropriety have been
given to Newbury Great Marlow, and many other towns
of half the magnitude, are allowed representation. The
town of Newbury sent formerly two Members to Parliament.
I shall esteem it a favour, if you can find a corner for
this communication ; for although I hope sacrilegious
boroughmongering hands may not be allowed under pretence
of amending, to do treacherous violence to the Bill, per-
haps the STAR may meet the eyes of the noble author and
natural protector of it, and of his country's rights—L►rd
John Russell, who may introduce my town to the notice it
nr:rits, and which I trust will never be disgraced by
A DESCENDANT OF JACK OF NEWBURY.
Newbury, Beats, March 17.
FROM A CORRESPONDEWT.— A meeting of the whole
county of Essex is convened for Saturday, and we are glad
to hear that pe-sons of all parties had signed the requisition
for the same: at first it was confined to the Whigs, the
Liberals having had a meting already, while die Tories
hung back. But an announcement having been given out
of a sort of High Church and king Meeting to oppose a
party they chose to call " revolutionary reformers,' the
word sounded in Essex like a tocsin, and all parties hastened
immediately to sign the requisition, determined to oppose
bigotry, and to bury their minor differences of opinion in
oblivion, in giving support to the general cause of rational
freedom ; and now Tory and Whig, Liberal and Radical,
Ballotist, and those who hate the Ballot, Catholic and Pro-
testant, and even the quiet Quaker, all are hastening to
give unanimous support to a measure, which being proposed
by the advisers of the Crown, and backed by the whole
bulk of the people, it becomes part of the dity and alle-
giance of all loyal men to rally round, in order to defeat ft*
iatrigues of an interested, rapacious, and aristocratical oli-
garchy. Among the supporters of the measure of Parlia-
mentary Reform, may be found men of title, men of
science, politicians of all parties, and the professors of very
different religious creeds. We noticed the names of Lord
Dacre, the Earl of Essex, Hon Charles Petre, a Catholic.
• C. C. Western, Esq. M.P. for Essex, T. B. Lennon!, M.P.
D. W. Harvey, Faq. M.P. for Colchester, T. Forster,
Esq. of Boreham, Sam. Sheen, Esq. of Hatfield, and above
40 other highly respectable names.
lts.roux MEETING AT IPSWICH.— Pursuant to a requi-
sition very unanimously signed, addressed to the Bailiffs of
this borough, a public meeting of the inhabitants was held
on Wednesday at the Town Hall, for the purpose of aihlres-
sing His Majesty and the House of Commons in favour of
the ministerial plan of reform. The object of the meeting
excited the most lively interest, bills were placarded r•uod
the town, calling upon the inhabitants to come forward '•
to
su;port the King in his struggle with the boroughmungerti,"
and the attendance of the inhabitants was very numerous.
Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, urging strongly
the necessity for strengthening the hands of ministers in
their endeavours to effect the long required plan of reform,
and resolutions, upon which an address to the king and a
petition to the House of Commons were founded, were una-
nimously agreed to, expressive of the concurrence of the
inhabitants of this town in the proposed measure of ie!ief,
and praying that it might be allowed to pass into a law.
The inhabitants of' Halesworth also, in the county of Suffolk,
met upon ere same subject on Tutsdoy last, and various
other towns in the same county are follow lug the like ex-
ampli s.
One of the most important of al the Reform meetings
was held yesterday at Stowmolker, in porruanee f a re-
quisition, signed by six hundred «rid Iwe•.ty Fret h riders,
and substantial Householders, of the County of St if e!k, at
which the High Sheriff presided. After some apologies
were read hum several gentlemen, te I o were necessarily
absent, the meeting gas addressed by Sir ROBERT
HARI AND, fart. who proposed a series of resolutiens,
tending to strengthen the hands of his Majt st ..'s. Slinisters,
in carrying the Reform bill into a law. Mr. MossLY
seconded the resolutions, which were intmed•ately carried,
without modification, amidst great chtering. Sever al gentle-
men addressed the meeting—all in favour of the measure.
At Blandfurd, a hole-and-corner petition, against reform,
was attempted to be got up, but which in four days re-
ceived only 24 signatures; whilst that in favour of reform,

was signed by upwards of 300 persons in about four hours.
A Council of the Corporation of Redford has been held, at
which various spirited resolutions, moved by the Rev.
Phi!ip Hunt, Rector of St. Peter's, were agreed to. This
Corporation possesses the right of nominating burgesses
and freemen, without limitation of number, having a right
to vote, even without residence, at all elections of members
of Parliament for the borough ; but it has magnanimously
resolved to abandon its privileges, with a view to the increase
of independent principles.