Star.
London, England, 1813-05-01 00:00:00

HOUSE OV COMMONS.

The Committee on East India Affairs, on the motion of Lord
CASTLEREAGH, was postponed to this day se'nnight.
Mr. ROSE brought in a Bill for the general relief of Ship
Owners in Graat Britain, which was read a first time, and or-
dered to be read a second time on Monday.
Mr. FITZGERALD brought in a Bill to facilitate the collec-
tion of duties tipoa Hide! and Skins in Irel3ud.—Read a first,
and ooered to be read a second time.
Sir JOHN NEWPORI complained of the negligence of the
Commissioners of Stamps, in Ireland, in not obeying the Order
of the House, by transmitting an account of the Dupes raised en
Legacies during the last year' which had been called for by a Se-
lect Committee on the Bth of March last. He concluded by
moving a resolution—', That the Order of the House be forth-
with complied with."
After a few remarks from Mr.W. Ftraocanto, Mr. Penr,
Mr. FREEMANTLE, and Mr. DAVIS CIVET, the resolution was
agreed to. _ _ _

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHI'VUER postponed his
motion fur funding Exchequer Bills, to Monday.
On the motion of Mr. WHARTON, the House having re-
solved into a Committee of Supply, >cIi,OCO was granted to•
wardi building a new Gaol in the City of Edinburgh. 'lhe report
was ordered to be received on Monday.
Mr. swam presented a Petition hoot the Dissenting Clergy-
men in the neighbourhood of London, praying, in case of the re-
newal of the East-India Company's Charter, that means might be
taken to ensure the promulgation of the Christian Religion in
India.—Ordered to lie on the table.

Lord PALMERSTON brought up an Account of the Annual
Sums paid to Army Agents in Gteat Britain.—Ordered to be
printed.
Mr. C. JOHNSTONE gave notice, that be should on Monday
next move for further Papers o . this subject.
Mr. WHAR I'ON moved, that there should be laid before the
House an Account of the Number of Convictions which took
place in the Session House in the Old Bailey and in the County
of Surrey, front October, 1810, of persons for stealing. Pewter
Pots.—Ordered.

Sir CHARLES POLE presented a Petition front Plymovtb,
praying for leave to erect a New Church in that town, and sta-
ting, that although there are twenty thousand inhabitants in
Plymouth, the present Churches are only calculated to contain
from eighteen hundred to two thousand persons.—Ordered to lie
on the table.

Mr. DAVPS presented a Petition from certain Dissenters in
Bristol, praying, in case of the rentwal of the East-India Com-
pany's Charter, that provision may be made foc affording facili-
ties for the promulgation of the Chrlatian Religion in India.—
Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. BUTTERWORTH presented several Petitions front dif
ferent towns in England t• the like effect.
Lord GEORGE. BERESFORD reported, that the Addreas of
the House of the 28th instant had been presented to the Prince
Regent, and that his Royal Highness hal been pleased to direct
the Papers required to be laid before the House.

Mr..COUIO'NEY presented a Petition irons persons confined
for debt in the Isle of Man, praying, that, in the event of a Bill
fur the relief of Insolvent Debtors in England being passed dur-
ing the present Session, a clause might be added thereto, extrud-
ing its provisions to them.—Ordered to lie on the table.

CATHOLIC QOE,STION.

Mr. GRATTAN brought up-the Bill for the relief
of the Roman Catholics, entituled, 46 a Bill to Pro-
vide for the Removal of the Civil and Military Dis-
qualifications under which his Majesty's Roman Ca-
tholic subjects now labour." The Preamble sets
forth, that the Protestant succession to the Crown,
the Church of England and Ireland, and the Church
of Scotland, ought to be permanently established ;
and that it would tend to promote the interest and
security of the same, if the Penal Laws affecting the
Roman Catholics were removed. The Bill therefore
enacts, that 6, persons professing the Roman Catholic
Religion should be allowed to sit and vote in either
House of Parliament, on taking an oath therein set
forth, instead of the Oaths of Supremacy, Abjura-
tion, and the Worship of Saints." There are clauses
permitting them to vote for Members of Parliament,
to exercise the duty of Magistrates, and to hold all
situations, civil and military, under his Majesty, ex-
cept certain offices therein mentioned. There are
also clauses preventing Roman Catholics from advis.
ing the Crown in the disposal of civil or ecclesiastical
offices, and excluding persons professing the Roman
Catholic Religion, and not born of parents natives of
the United Kingdom, from exercising the right of
advowson.

The Bill having been read a first time, and Mr.
GRATTAN having moved that it should be read a se-
cond time„
Mr. CANNING observed, that having been one of
those who were ordered by the House to prepare the
Bill, the substance of which had been just read, there
was nothing which it contained of which he did not
entirely and cordially approve. There were other
things, however, connected with thisestion, which
the Bill did not contain, but which, Ta the view he
took of the subject, he thought, should !wadded to it.
These hit allotdd take the liberty et introducing to

7

the consideration of the House in the Corn iittees is
the shape of clauses, wjiich he had prepared, and
which were not conflioting, but in the same spirit
with the other provisions of the Bill. Anticipating
nothing but an assent to these clauses, and as they
were not of the nature of amendments, but additions
to the original Bill, he was desirous, if convenient,
and in accordance with the wish of the House, that
they should be printed, in order that the House might
be fully in possession of their nature and object when
the discussion on the Bill should take place. He was
aware that such a proceeding was irregular, yet he
knew that instances had occurred in which the House
had given their sanction to a meat-tire of a similar de-
scription. During the present Session, previous to
the discussion on the Weymouth Bill, certain addl.
tions proposed to be made by an Hon, Gentleman
were allowed to be printed preparatory to discussion;
and if there was no insuperable objection to a similar
course being adopted towards his clauses, he should
be happy to have them printed in like manner. He
`thought this mode of proceeding was preferable to
detaining the House at that time with a statement of
his views upon the subject—(hear, hear),
Sir J. C. HIPPISLEY said, that his general
views of the question then before the House were, he
believed, similar to those of his Honourable Friend
(Mr. Canning), they were, in fact, pursuing the
same object, only by different means. He could not
help thinking, however, in deference to himself, to
his constituents, and to the country, that after the
frequent attempts which had been made to carry
this measure into effect, that it would have been wise
and expedient, to have gone into a Committee
of Inquiry, in order to ascertain to what extent the
privileges demanded could be granted. He saw no '
reason why any Gentleman should withhold his as-
sent from such proceeding. He who was disposed to
grant much, he who was inclined to give little, or
he who might think it proper to withhold every thing
would be alike benefited if such a course was pur-
sued, as each would have a full and ample ground
upcin which to form their judgment—when once it
was determined to go into a Committee of Inquiry,
the result of those inquiries would be framed into a
Report—and from this Report the public would be
enabled to form a correct opinion of the measure,
which, consistently with their own interests, it might
be most politic to adopt, and not, as had hitherto
been the case, be left to draw their conclusions from
lacerated arguments used by contending parties, and
from the statements which they had lately read from
Dr. Milner, and other writers upon this subject. In
the proceedings respecting comfnen Turnpike Bills,
Reports were made, and printed and sent forth to
the country, so as to enable persons interested to
form a correct judgment of their merits—and Ashy,
in a question ot such vital interest as the present, a
proceeding ot a similar nature was not adopted, he
could not divine. That such a step should be adopted
he was prepared to contend, and invariably delivered
' his opinion to that effect. He would yield to no man
in ardour for the Catholic cause, or in a disposition to
ameliorate theineituation, so far as it could be ame-
liorated with safety to the Constitution. He said
safety to the Constitution, for he was not disposed to
concede any thing in which that object was not most
fully established. Having given notice of a motion
for a future day, which would involve this question
'mole minutely, he should not trespass longer on the
House at present titan to say, that what he would
urge in support of his opinions, would be upheld by
positive documents. In conclusion, the Hon. Baro-
net declared, that he should not vote for the second
reading of the Bill. •
Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that the only
question for consideration was, whether the Bill be-
fore the House should be read a second time or not,
and whether any other Gentleman had any substan-
tial alteration or addition to propose to the Bill,
which it might be expedient to put Parliament in
possession of before the discussion of its merits came
on? He was ready to allow that the proposition of
his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Canning) was not con-
Isistent with die ordinary practices of the House, but,
as far as he was concerned, he was anxious to be in
possession of his views, and therefore, should give no
opposition to the plan he had suggested of having his
clauses printed—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the
day of reading the Bill a second time, he thought it
would be inconvenient to have it read on the day on
which the Call was appointed, and therefore sug-
gested the expediency of postponing the second read-
ing to the day following.
Mr. GRATTAN said, that if it was found incon-
venient to bring on the second reading of the Bill,
subsequent to the Call being enforced, be would
have no objection to agree to its being postponed to
any other day.

"Sir J. C. 1-lIPPISLEY observed, that he had given
notice of a motion which stood fixed for the day on
which the Call would take place ; and, as this was
prior to the second reading of his Right Hon. Friend's
Bil:, he was by no means disposed to wave that prio-
rity. He would have no objection to withdraw his
motion, if he was assured that it would precede the
second reading of the Bill.
Mr. GRArIAN expressed a wish that the 2d
reading should stand for the I 1 th of May.
Doctor DU IGENAN moved, by way of amend-
ment, that the 2d reading should stand for the 12th.
Mr. PONSONBY saw no good end which could
be derived from fixing the second reading for the
12th, as his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Grattan) had
expressed a disposition to assent to postponing his
motion, if desired by the House, when the day arrived
which he had proposed.
Sir J. COX HIPPISLEY hoped, that as he had
given notice for the llth of a motion, which he was
disposed to think would occupy the House for a con-
siderable time, that his Hon. Friend would agree to
postpone the second reading of the Bill I') she subse-
quent day. If some such arrangement was not made,
he should feel considerably embarrassed, as he was
satisfied that the documents which he was prepared
to produce, would prove to the House that it was
impossible the present Bill could pass into a law du-
ring the present Session.
Mr. GRATTAN thought that whatever discussion
was to take place on the Bill, would, in all proba-
bility, take place in the Committee. With respect to
the observations of his Hon. Friend (Sir J. C. Hip-
pisley) if they were correct, his motion, as well as
the merits of the bill, might be discussed together,
and if the suggestions of his Hon. Friend, for defer-
ring the )0.1 to a future teripd were acceded to the

oestion respecting the second reading of the Bill
would of course be determined.
Sir CHARLES POLE entreated the House t')
look with a jealous eye on the present question, as it.
regarded the navy. He objected to any change with
respect to that part of his Majesty's for:es, in all
events during war. An alteration could be produc-
tive of no good, and a great ri.que would be run t..)
little effect.

Mr, DZNNIS I3ROWNE said, if a: any time is
was prudent to make any altetation respecting to r
religious persuasions of the persons in the naval set.
vice, he thought during the war was fib: bes'•
the law now existed, the Catholics were tanl.'►t al&
the disciplioe of our celebrated Navy, and as thr;v:
talent, however great, was not likely to procure then
promotion, they went over to the Americans and th,--
French, and thus became our memias instead of ()I:

friends.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. CANNING had not prepared any clause vitt.
respect to the Navy, but was ready to listen to any
sugge;tion which the gallailt Admiral (Sir Charles
Pole) might think proper to make.
Mr. H. ADDINGTQN said, that t!,.e House had
coMmitted itself to no particular measlag ; the prin.
ciple of the Bill was yet to be debated, %%hat ever:.
objection would come with due weight.
It was finally resolved, that the Bid should be nmr!
a second time on the 11th of nib and in the
rim it was ordered to be primed.

CAPTURES BY AMERICA ti vEscr.Le.

Mr. BARING rose to move for an Account of
Number and Tonnage of British Vesiet.; captured by
vessels of war belonging to the Utlitod Stars &lit?.
the present war ; and also an Account of the Nunt.
ber of British wessels which bad becn recaptured.—. •
He was nut *Ware that any objection could by made.
to this motion; and if there was, be should hare La.
objection to postpone it to a future pet iod.
. The CHANCELLOR of the h...;i.CHEQ1.7.11t
said, that great difficulty would be felt in nJaku,
such a return as was moved for by the Honourable:
Gentleman. In fact, he was not aware of any pulo.ic.,
office, from whence an authentic document, such as
the Honokahle Gentleman had de&cribcd, could be
obtained.

The SPEAKER rematked, tl:a; the Hemse coull
make no order c:cept on some known department,
unless through the medium of a Committee, which
had the power of calling for papers and persons.
Mr. TIERNEY said, that the Admiralty WAS the
proper channel to apply to ; and if they could nor
comply with the whole order, they could at least with
a part. He certainly knew ut instances in which such
returns had been micle to the House.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
begged• that the motion might be postponed until
some Gentleman connected with the AdMiralty was
present.
To this Mr. BARING agreed, and gave notice of
his motion for Monday.