Star.
London, England, 1815-03-21 00:00:00

TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1815.

from the County of Louth in favour of the Corn i
Bill, which was read at length, and ordered to lie
on the table.

The Marquis of LANSDOWVZ presented a Petition
from one of the Irish Counties in favour of the Bill.
These Petitions were severally ordered to lie on
the table.

Earl GREY presented a Petition, numerously
signed (he observed), from the Staffordshire Pot-
teries, praying that the Corn Bill may not pass into
a law.

The circumstances in which this Petition was pre-
sented gave rise to a conversation of s►rne length.—
It appeared that no signatures were affixed to the
particular sheet on which the Petition was drawn,
but that the •signaturei were on detached sheets.—
After a few words in the way of explanation of this
circumstance froukthe Noble Earl who presented the
Petition—

The LORD CHANCELLOR observed gene.l
rally, that if any Noble Lord conceived that the ob. '
jections which he felt it his duty to make, with respect
to some Petitions of the kind, proceeded from any
view or wish of his to prevent such Petitions from
being received, they had greatly mistaken him. He
had no object therein but to exercise that duty he felt
he owed to the House. He had merely but to state
his objections, and it was fur the House to determine
how tar they were valid.
EarISTANHOPE conceived the question to be
one of no common importance; if there were such
an established rule as that alluded to more than once,
it was fit that Petitioners should act up to it ; but he
thought it could not be so, for he had known more
than a hundred Petitions to have been received ender
such circumstances as thy! present.
The Earl of LIMERICK noticed the circumstance
of a Petition from the County of Roscommon, in
Ireland, in support- of the Bill, being rejected by the
House, for the very reason the present was deemed
inadmissible, and he thought it should shun the
same fate.

Earl GREY observed, that if there was a uniform
established rule upon the subject, he should be one
of the last to wish to depart from it. And at the
same time he admitted, that what the Noble Lord
on the Woolsack advanced, was in the execution of
his duty. But were it only from what his Noble
Friend (Earl Stanhope) had stated, from his own
knowledge, he should conclude there was no such
uniform rule, and he adverted to the rapid progress
of the Bill as a reason why retitimiers had not suffi-
cient time or opportunity to proceed in a more regu-
lar and deliberate way.
Viscount MELVILLE was of opinion, the rule
and practice of the House should be strictly attend:al
to on occasions of this kind.

E•=rl STANHOPE poke in explanation.
Earl BATHURST Gbserved upon the propriety
of adhering to the Orders of the House.
Lord GRENVILLE scenic(' to think the appli-
cation of die rule in the way it was proposed, to
object it, could be attended with no cuavenicoce nr
advantage, as signatures may be easily attached, so
as to obvi de its contr,

The LORD CHANCELLOR, in expllnation,
argued, that if the signatures were to be phiced in
separate sheets, as he had objected, it may very
easily happen that 10,00) persons may sign, wh.,
never saw the petition they professed to subscribe.
All he could say as to the circumstances alleged by
a Noble Earl, that a single petition of the kind never
came through his hands without his having made the
objection. He repeated, that he felt it his duty to
point out the inflainality, and its possible effect. The
rest their Lordships were to decide.
Lord G VILLe and the LORD CHANCELLOR Spoke
in further explanation.
Earl GREY felt the question of so much import-
ance, that he should take the sense of the House
upon it.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL was of opinion, that
such a question as the present could not be settled
upon general principles, or upon general reasoning,
but strictly upon precedent and practice—whatever
was the general or understood practice of the House.
He meant, when the attention of the House was called
to such points, it should decide the present question.
Earl GREY pressing for a decision, the House
divided—
Contents . 19
Nut Contents . 44
Majority azainst receiving the Petition SI
Earl STANHOPE presented two Petitions from
the County of Wilts, both very numerously signed,
against the Corn Bill, and one from the town and
neighbourhood of Sheffield to the same effect.
His Lordship also presented Vetitioes Irom the
Burgh of Stirling, from. Falkirk, and from the Pa-
rishes of St. An.:rew, Hoiboni, and St. Chine the
Martyr.
The Marquis or DOUGLAS presented several
Petitions from different parts of Scotiand..
Lord GRENVILLE alio presented several Peti-
tions against the Bill--among which were one from
the City of Bristol, signed by more than 4.2.000 per.
i• sons, from Leicester, from Bishop Wearmoutle from
C;osport, and from the town and neighbourhood of
Paisley, which were ordered to lie on the, table.
The Maiquis of BUCKINGHAM observed, k
would be highly proper, before their Lordships
should proceed to the. Order of the Day, to consider
the effect of what had recently transpired, or had
taken place. It appeared, there WAS a rule, not rest-
ing upon any standing Order of the Houle, but one
of practice, which had been departed from in many
instances, which had the effect of pfecluding the sen-
timents of numerous Petitions being. submitted to
their Lordships. There was much difference of opi-
nion upon the point, in the Houle itself, and it was
not to be expected the Petitioners could know more
than their Lordships.
On these gammas be thought
these Petitioners should be allowed:tome further time
.
and opportunity of
-- appealing againtit a measure so
prejudicial to their intertstss and.in order to effect

• .

this, that the third reading of the Corn Bill should
be postponed for a certain period.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL difDrecl in opinion
materially from the Noble Marquis, on the question
to which he had referred. It clearly appeared that
such an uniform general practice.cxisted, on every
occasion in which the attention of the Hoose hid
been called to the point. On those cases, Vien the
objection had been made, the Petitions were uni-
formly not received, and such decision was of course
known to their Lordships. They were bottnJ to pay
every degree of proper attention to the Petitions of
Iris Majesty's subjects, and such aca•r?ingly w.is
the Oniforrn practice of the• House. But with all that
respict, they were bound also to attend to the est t-
Wished course of order of their own proceed*, ;
and when Petitions should not be cnnf•cutiable to
them, they c•wld not consistently receive them. On
such a ground, therefore, he could not see the legit
reason for postponing the third reading of the Bill
referred to.

A short conversation took place betucan the Earl,
of DARNLEY and Viscount MTLVILLE, Uespcczing cer-
t:tin of the naval papers move J for by the ro:m..tr on
a preceding day, and which vretet, not yet laid b:lore
the House. The Noble Viscount briefly adverted to
the impracticability cf producing those allttLlA to
within the time, particulaily that which respected the
expenses of the armaments on Lake o:ttarict.
The Earl of DARNLEY then expnlssed his wish,
if possible, that they could be prlduced before the
Recess, so that they could be printed, mid their Lord.
ships have an opportunity of considering them.

THE CORN mu..

Their Lordships then proceeded to the Order of the
Day (upon which they were summoned) for the third
reading of this Bill.
The Marquis of BUCKINGHAM said he would
take that last opportunity of protesting against a mea.!
sure so pregnant with injurious and alarming conse-,
quences, as that now before the House. He ,hcold
not trouble their Lordships with any detail:A argu-
ments upon the subject ; but would protest against
the principle and details of the measure, and above
all, against the rapidity with which it was carried
through both Houses of Parli.tment. The Noble
Marquis then generally touched upon some or the j
leading topics which had been urged against the mea-
sure in former discussions, and urged their serious
and attentive consideration to their Lordships, ere it
was too late. For his pant, he had the satisfaction
of feeling he had discharged his duty, and should'
give the farther progress of the Bill his. decided ne-
gative.
The EArl of WESTMORLAND answered the
objections of the Noble Martinis at some; length. He
defended the measure on several of those grounds on
which it had !sects supported by Noble Lords on his
side of the question,
_aroi coptended fur tht necrts
Aity ot.giving doe enc‘qtr...etnent to agriculittre, to
coable the country to render herself independent of
fortigners fur the supply of an article of the first
nt:cessity.

The Bill was opposed by the Earls CA Kr.isr.s and
AsuarE, and by the Lords KING and Guasviu.k:.
It was supported by the Earls BUCKINGIIANISIIIIM,
I-Itrutown;, DARNLEY, LIVERPOOL, and LALDEIt-
DALC, and by Lord REDE%/AI.E.
Eall STANHOPE opposed the Bill, as pressing
hard on the poor. The Noble Earl concluded hiNt
opposition by the following sentence : ."4 If ever I
abandon the cause of the industrious plor, rwty Gitn
in his vengeance abandon me : I will not temporise,
but I move that this Bill tw rejected.'--A division took
place at the end of the debate, when there appeared
In favour of the Bill, NO—Against it, 21—/vla-
j, rity, 107.
The Bill was then read a third time, and passed,
and a Message ordered to acquaint the Commons
therewith.—Adjourned at One o'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMI)N3. •

A Petition was presented from she Lord Provost of Edinburgh
against the Scotch Jury Bill. A similar Pet.tion was presented
from the County of Perth.
The East India Sugar Bill went through a Committee. Re-
port to •niorrow.
The Report of the Customs War Duties 13:1I was :treed to.—
Third reading to-morrow. •
'The Excise War Duties Bill was passed.
Sir 1. NEWPORT i'ostponed his notice relative to the Revee
nue of Ireland till the .sth ot April.
The False Weights and Measures Bill was read a second time,
and committed for the 6th of April.
The Report of the Committee of Supply was brought up, and
the several Resolutions agreed to.
Mr. ROSE brought in a Bill for the better providing for the
payment of Seamene Wages, and executing of Seanietis' Wills.
Read a first, and ordered to be read a secosid time tai-morrow.
'I lie Pauper Lunatics' Bill was ordered to be rend a second
time on Wednesday.
Mr. ORENEELL, adverting to the state of the silver coinage,
and also to the earl:mite issue which bad take,' place in various
couinies, of wiper tuketo, which, as the law now btnod, the
parties biting were DOC compelled to tak- again, it /sestet! his
foraser observations on the state of our silver cola, wirch, lie
said, in many instances, was deteriorated nearly half its value
lie wished to suggest to the Chancellor uf the hx:-Itequ:•r, w:ae-
ther it would not be possible to adopt sense mt:asure to .ert vent
the counterfeiting of silver coin ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEOVER said, it wined
b.: difficult to adopt any permanent regulation on the set j,:c; of
our silver coin, whilst the Bank Restriction lasted. One mode,
however, of atio•titlieg it, would be, for the Bank ft) issue auk ,ts
of a smaller value, to which he saw no objection.
Some conversation took place between Sir I. NrWrOPT, Dr.
DUICIChAN, Mr.WUJTCREto, tilt; CIIA.DCLI.LOR of the I.x::itc-,
qI)E K, and Mr. AKeUTNNOT, on the subject of the Salary to the
Auditor of the Naval A.ylum. The Resolution, however, wAs
til,nuattly agreed to.