Star.
London, England, 1822-06-18 00:00:00

SCOTCH BURGHS ACCOUNTS BILL.

The LORD ADVOCATE moved the Order of
the Day should be read for taking into further con-
sideration the Scotch Burghs Accounts Bill.
The Order of the Day having been read,
The LORD ADVOCATE moved that the Bill be'
recommitted.

Mr. H. DRUMMOND moved that an instruction
should be given to the Committee to c insider the
propriety of dividing the Bill into two.—Agreed to.
Lord A. HAMIL I'ON pointed out various defects
in the Bill, and complained that nothing at all was
done to correct the evil of self-election; and this not
being removed, it was utterly impossible that the
measure should set the questions at rest which had
lately been so much agitated between the Burgesses
and their Magistrates. He took the liberty to state,
that not only had he the authority ()flaw and com-
mon sense on his side, in favour of not allowing the
power of self-election, but a considerable portion of
the Magistrates themselves had given it as their opi-
nion that the change which he wished to be effected
would not be in any degree subversive of their just
rights. Of all the numerous complaints which the
Petitioners bad laid before the House, this Bill did
not correct one, save that it introduced some ame-
lioration into the mode of making out the accounts.
He conceived the Bill to be totally incompetent to
remedy the evil which it professed to have in view;
but it was as fit to correct the particular defect to which
it did apply, as any other Bill now before the House.
He gave his hearty dissent to the measure now, re-
serving to himself the right of giving a final opinion
on it when he saw in what shape it came out of the
Committee.
The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND said,
as the Noble Lord had submitted no better plan to
the House than that embodied in'this Bill, he hoped
there would be no objection to allow it to go into a,
Committee, when the remedieh which he had, to pro-
pose—remedies not devised him, but by Commit-
tees of that House—would, re flattered himself, satisfy
the House. He thought they could not go further
than this Bill did, without being in danger of in-
fringing the chartered rights of Scotland, which had
been secured to that country by the Act of Ulion.


arsition given to the Bill confarmtd him
rit would cheek the evil.
f, P. GRANT Was not satisfied with the mea
sure, and could not agree that to' go further wOOIO
affect the chartered rights of Scotland. •
Mr. HUMS was not satisfied with the presets
and was confident that no meastire zould correct the
evil that did not remove that whit ad been so long
complained of, the practice of self-election, as exer-
cised by the Magistrates of the Royal Scotch Burghs.
He thought it was too much for the Learned Lord
to talk of respecting the chartered rights of Scot-
land now, after the manner in which they had becn
openly violated through the last 50 years. He hoped
the House would disregard the plan of the Learned
Lord, and give the People of these Burghs the means
of protecting their own rights and liberties. He
wished to ask, if the Learned Lord had provided for
the correction of the defect in the representation of
the several Corporations of Trades ? With these opi-
nions it might be expected that he should oppose the
Bill. But as some of his friends thought it might be
productive of some little, good, he was willing to
take that rather than nothing.
Mr. W. SMITH contended that the evils of the
Scotch Burgh system requires! efficient remedies. He
thought the clause of the Bill which went to punk))
corruption, in some measure redeemed the other ob-
jections which might lie against
Lord BINNING defended the system of chartered
rights, vested in the Scotch Burghs, which was insti:
tuted for their good. The existing evil consisted in
the abuse of that system by the mismanagers of the
affairs of the different Burghs.
Mr. MAXWELL argued against the system. He
considered its origin as being a revolution, though
made by a King. Its first institution was the act
of a weak King, advised by an imbecile set of coun-
sellors. He concurred in that part of the Bill which
imposed fine in cases of corrupt practices in Elections.
The House then went into a Committee.
The Bill was read paragraph by paragraph, and
several verbal amendments were agreed to.
A long discussion took place upon a clause giving
the Court.pf Exchequer in Scotland jurisdiction over
the pecuniary penalties created by the Bill.
Mr. J. P. GRANT then moved, as an amendment,
a clause to regulate the Auditing of the Corporate
Accounts.

Upon the question for receiving the clause the
House divided, when there appeared—

For the $3
Against it 35

Alajorit,

.-1 8

A number of clauses ‘vere.then agreed to,with ver•
bal amendments, proposed by different Hon. Members.
A division ensued upon the question of agreeing to
a clause introduced by Mr. J. P. GRANT, to prevent
the Bill having any effect on the Head Courts. The
numbers were—
For the clause.. 44
Against it 7l
Majority —27

On the re-admission of strangers, the Committee
were going through the remaining tarts of the Bill.
Lord BINNING proposed an Amendment to com-
pel half of the Town Council in every Scotch Burgh
to re,ide within the Burgh, or within three miles of
the Town-ball.

Mr. J. P. GRANT opposed the Amendment; and
after some conversation it w•as withdrawn.

The other clauses of the Bill were then agreed to.

On the motion " That the Chairman do leave the
Chair," there was a shout of assent, and considerable
laughter, at the fervency with which some of the Hon.
Members hailed the termination of the discussion.

The House resumed,sand the CHAIRMAN reported
progress. The Report was ordered to be taken into
further consideration on Thursday next, and the Bill,
as amended, to be printed.
Mr. KENNEDY wished to postpone the second
reading of the Scotch Juries Bill until Thursday
next, with the understanding that it should, on that
day, have precedence of the third reading of the
Corn Bill.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had
no objection to the proposition of the Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. BROUGHAM postponed his motion on the
influence of the Crown, until Monday next, on ac-
count of the probable absence of the Marquis of Lon-
donderry from the House on Thursday, for which day
his motion had been fixed. But he hoped that pre-
cedence would be given to it on Monday.
Mr. HOBHOUSE said, a motion of which he had
given notice, for the repeal of Taxes (the House and
Window Tax) to a very large amount, stood for
Wednesday; but he did not wish to bring it on in
the absence of the Noble Marquis, therefore he should
postpone it to the 2d of July, which was the first
open day—( Hear, and a laugh).
Mr. ARERCROMBY postponed his motion rela-
tive to certain transactions connected with the Press
of Scotland to the 25th instant, with the understand-
ing that it should take precedence of all other pub-
lic business.