Star.
London, England, 1815-07-08 00:00:00

PARLIA MEN7ARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JULY 7.
Is the am of Stuart.. Booth judgment of the Court below
&armed.
the Salt Duty 8111, Seeds Duty Bill, the Silk Duty BIU, Vnte
of Credit Bill. tie American Trade Bill, the Hackney Coackes
Bill, and Militia ReguLtion Bill, were read a ►econd time, and

COITIMitte4 tr t I). miNTOW.
The lrikla coeststries Bill, and the Cgasolidsual Fend 818,
were cedar:bud and reported.
gwSPAPER STAMP DUTY.
On the motion for the committal of the Newspaper,
Pamphlets, &c. Stamps Bill,
Earl S'rANHOPE said that one consequence
would follow from this Bill to which the Noble Earl
opposite could not be very friendly, and that was,
that it' wmild ti:mirfsh the revenue. It put him in
mind of a Bill which was once brought up from the
Commons, imposing an additional duty on spirits.—
That Bill passed, and the consequence was, (oat the
revenue was diminished by no less a sum than
re300.,060. Next f.i..ss;on a Bill w.,:s brought in to
raise the revenue again, and it did so, simply by
taking off the tax ; and he remembered that there
was a great deal of laughing at this mode of in-
creasing the revenue by diminishing the taxes. But
there was another effect of this Bill which Ile could
not approve: it had a tendency to prevent the diffu-
sion of informatien, and to operate as a restraint on
tlto freedom of the psess. Now he was decidedly
friendly to the diffusion of information and light, be-
cause he. was convinced that this was the only way in
which the condition of human society could he in:-
proved. In this view the present addition to the tax
on Newspapers was very objectionable; and he should
therefore move several amendments, in order to ex-
clude those parts from the Bill which laid the addi-
tional tax on Newspaper Stamps. The Bill was be-
sides in some respects hardly intelligible, like a great
Many of the Bills that came from the Commons. la
one part of it the definition given of a pamphlet was,
a writing containing one sheet ; in another part the
definition was, a writing exceeding one sheet. This
wa, inaccuracy with a vengeance.
"'lie first amendment was negatived without a

Eel 1 STANHOPE then observed, that as the first
had here negatived without any thing being said by
any other et their • Lordships than himself, he pre-
sumed the other amendments would meet with the
same fate if they should be proposed, and therefore
.he should not move them : but this was the conse-
qiunee of bringing up so important Bills at the close
of die Session, when the attendance was so small.
• The Bil: was they committed and reported.
losw enoesitotNos.
Upon the motion far the committal of the Law
Proceedings Scamps DA
• Earl STANHOPE said, they must take it for
granted that it was correct, through; they did not
know a word about it. From its size it could not be
sufficiently examined, on account of the laze period
of the Session at which it was brought up : but he
only begged leave to mention to their Lordships the
fact, that the Court of King's Bench had decided,
that where a Stamp was higher than the proper value,
it was equally invalid as if it had been lower. He
• trusted that some method would be adopted by their
Lordships to prevent this practice of sending up these
loads of Bills at the close of every Session. They
bad this year from the Commons a Bill for punishing
the innocent along with the guilty (alluding probably
to tie Hellestnne Voters Boll), and many other Bills
in a crude and inaccurate state, and it was therefore
•of great importance that.they should be brought up
at a period when their Lordships' House could pay
them the proper attention.
The Biil was then committed and reported.
FARM PROPERTY.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE moved the corn-
mittal-ot the 8.11 for the sale of Farm Property taken
in Execution. Ile did so for the purpose of introdu-
cing sonic amendments, with the intention not to pro.
ceed furtht v with the Bid this Session.
The Duke of MONTROSE suggested, that a se
;mate Bid on this subject ought to he brought in for
Scotland, as the terms and proceedings of law in the
. two countries were so different.
Lord REDESDALE stated, that many acts had
been passed since the Uilian, about which there was
some doubt whether they applied to Scotland Dr not.
The rule adopted by the Court of Session, he be-
lieved, was, that where the proceedings could be ap-
plied in Scotland, the act included Scotland ; and
where the proceedings could not be there applied,
they held, that Scotland was not included. It was
diificelt to prevent this uncertainty in future, except
by separate Acts, as' the Noble Lord suggested.—
But even with regard to the past, something ought
• to be done ; and he suggested fur their Lordships'
consideration, whether an order ought not to be di.
rected to the Judges•of the Court of Session to trans-
mit to their Lordships a List or Schedule of such
. Acts, specifying those which in their opinion did
Apt! to Scotland, and also those which in their of
pion did floe amity; diViugttletnrilleet from
others ?

The Earl of LAUDERDALE stated, that it was
• now a lung time since he tirbt procured an order upon
the Judges of the Court of Session to send to the
Haut their acts of sedentat : but • they had not yet
4liought proper to send them. He hoped the Noble
Lord would be more fortunate with his motion. No
body of men could be more respectable than the
Judges of the Court of Session, but the orders of their
•
Lordships' House must be obeyed.
' After a few words from Lords ELLzxaoaouoa and
Moit•ro*, and the Loan. CiLtwout.on, the amend-
ments were introduced, and the Bill passed the
, .
C•nrimittee.

• •

The Copyhbliers the Agent General of the Local Militia
Bill, the Fowled MIA Bill, the' peotit emirs Bill, the Itinieepere
itildwasice Bill, the Local. Militia Bill, the Irish Militia Pay and
authors 13:11, the Bill fur preventing Frauds In the Manufacture
of Sweet,' the Navy or Seamen's Encouragement Bill, and the
Captured Slaves Support Bill, were read a third dote and pawed
4. bet. was Laid yesterday publicly bium-Thyiaeng
that I.ools4the vrOuld be re•seated on
ihniut before the 19ai Instant; the day the deawitig
of `the tatei puce. The petiets laying dila
bet An't 'have much Mince ups* tho' stations of
the isti ti siltri: to` repEt 'the Ahs ' The bet
*is 4or. Lotterrfloteti it reference to*
the' elienl4' Oki% • cooptins Fleet eisequalled.ips
. ' alai& add' sairetY, tt will be Niel' that db. sum whip"'
tits/ be gained spoi this tient '
•, si•• 11.4.• V • *4.• I: 4,114 •.011••••611