Star.
London, England, 1809-02-22 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, FEB. gi.
Their Lordships, in a Committee of Privileges, heard Counsel
and evidence in the case of the Banbury Peerage.
'llle 10,500,0001. and 1,500,0001. Exchequer Bills' Bills, and
111dt Duty Bill, were read a third time and passed.
The Militia Enlistment bill, and Equity Debtors Relief Bill,
went through a Committee.
An additional Report was presented from the Commissioned
of Inquiry in Ird/incl.—Adjourned.

HOUSE or COMMONS.
A Member was sworn, and took his seat.
Cregson's Divorce 1'.411, from the Lords, was read the second
time, and committed for to-morrow se•nnight.
IC4. 13A NK F.S reported from the Select Committee appointed
to inquire respecting abuses in the sale and disposal of places un-
der the East ladle Company, that John Annesley Shee bad
grossly prevaricated in his testimony before the said Committee ;
and then moved that J. A. Shee be taken into the custody-of the
Serjeant at Arms, and that the said Serjeant do bring up the
said Shee from day to day, to give evidence before the said Com-
mittee.—Ordered.
A person from the Office of the Chief Secretary for Irish Af-
fairs, presented at the bar the Eighth Report of the Irish COM.
missioners of Inquiry.—Ordered to be printed.
A person front the East India Dock Company presented their
annual account —Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. W. 'W. POLE Lave notice of a motion on Monday next
for have to bring in a bill to enable the widows of naval and ma-
rine officers to receive their pensions with greater facility, and
for other purposes relating thereto.
Mr. Ms' l' ER presented his bill for better preventing the for-
gery of Irish Ban!: notes, drafts, and post hiller—Read the krst
time, and ordered for the second reading on Friday next.
Mr. WHARTON brought up the Report of the Committee
of Supply who sat yesterday.—Agreed to, and leave given to
bring in a bill.
The SECRE.TARY at WAR presented, pursuant tO orders, a
Rctur,i,of the numbers of Yevnianry Cavalry, with the state
tticreof.—Ordered to be printed.
A MeS.age was received from the Lords, with the Malt-duty
Eill, and the two Exchequer Bill. Bills, agreed to by their Lord-
sli;ps.
On the motion of Mr. O'HARA, the second reading of the
Irish Constables' Bill was postponed to the first Tuesday after
aster.
Ordered, on the motion of Mr. HUSKISSON, that Mary
.Anne Clarke and Mary Antic Taylor do attend to-morrow, to
give evidence before the Committee for inquiring into the con-
duct of the Duke of York. •
Sir THOMAS TURTON moved, that Mr. Lowten be or-
dered to lay before the House all papers relating to the inquiries
'nada by him respecting monies obtained by Mary Anne Clarke,
by using the name of the Dui of York.
The CHANCELLOR of the IXCHEQUER Ibbmitted to
the Honourable Baronet, and to the House, whether it was a fair
proceeding to call upon professional persons confidentially em-
ployed, to produce all papers which might have come confiden-
tially into their possession, for the purpose of furnishing evidence
against those whose confidence they possessed. Such a principle
was inadmissible in the prosecution of persons for ordinary of-
fences ; and, if adopted, might be productive of great mischief.—
He therefore trusted that a principle which would be held sacred
towards any other subject under accusation., would not be vio- '
Wed towards the Duke of York, and that Mr. Lowtcn might not
be ordered to bring forward such papers as came to hie hands in
confidence.
Sir THOMAS TURTON assured the Right Honourable Gen-
tleman that he could not be more averse to force any man to peO-
duce papers of a confidential nature than he (Sir Thomas Tur-
tosq was ; hut the motive which induced him to call ibr those
papers was a suggestion made to him by an Honourable Ash-
her not now in his place, that scone considerable sumo of Money
had be.n raised by Mrs:Clarke in consequdhce of her using the
• Duke of York's name ; and understanding that the discovery
bat: been made by Mr. Lowten fu the course of hit inquiries, be.
wished_ to have the papers laid before the House, as tl set tiff
against other statements which have been made of the large sums
expended by her. Knowing no 'other mode to come at the infor-
mation with which he thought the Hanle should be acquainted,
he had moved for the production of the papers by Mr. Lowteh.
Having no wish, however, to ergo his motion if it was objection-
able, lie would withdraw it.
Mr. 1-'ONqjNIIY gave notice, that he should, on Friday next,
submit to th,,, House his promised motion,on tht conduct of that

_war io Spain.
TEMPLE wished to. know, whether any progress had
been made in the re:tiers, for which he had moved on a former
da of tie rosses sustained by the British army in Spain; or when
they would he laid before the House ?
• Lord CASTLER EAt 11l answered the Noble Lord, that no
r 'urns had yet been mode, and, therefore, he could not slime a
day wh.ll they would he laid on the table.
Mr. EAD twined Monday se'nnight for bringing on
his n,•,:io.r. respecting Ainerican affairs.
Mr. FOSTER moved, drat the Hons. do, on Thursday next,
rei-olva itself into a Committee for the purpose of taking into con-
sideratio-n the cultivation of flax and hemp in Ireland.
Sir JAMES HALL moved, that Mary Anne Clarke lie or-
dered ti ”raill:Ce all papers in her possession which relateto the
snbiect .he inquiry re..lptctio7 the Duke of York.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER asked how she
was to know th:- relevancy of any particular papers in her pcisses-
sion? She had an opportunity certainly of consulting with an
Ilornsuiable Genzleman, of whose judgment she might make use
on the subj. ct : but how was she herself to be capable of judg-
ing?
Sir JAMES HALT. withdrew this metion,and made another,
few the preduction of all the papers in her passessio,f, in order to
a selection of them by a Committee.
This motion, however, seeming to meet the general disappro-
bation of tire House, the Hon. Baronet withdrew it also.

CONVENTION OF CINTRA.
Lord H. PETTY rose, in pursuance of the notice
he had given on the second day of the Session, to
call the a-,tention of the House and of the country to
an inquiry into the causes and effects of the Con-
vention of Cintrh, which, at a time that the bril-
Pant success of our army against the French in Por-
tugal had led us to hope for the most splendid and
beneficial results to this country and our Allies, and
ultimately to all Europe, had, in an unfortunate and
inauspicious moment, raised a cloud, the interven-
tion of which had cast a dreadful darkness on the
till then prosperous and brightening prospects and
hopes of this country. He hoped, that whatever
might have passed from the commencement of the
&ssion, the House Would not refuse its most serious
attention to the progress and cenclusion of the cam-
tkaign in Portugal. As to the inquiry which had al-
ready taken place on the subject, he had authorities
to show, that nothing could be more incompetent
than such a tribunal to effect the purposes for which
it was instituted ; and, on 0.11,1 subject, he quoted
some passages from a book published by Lord Wood-
houselee, on the subject of Courts-Martial and Courts
of Inquiry, and instanced one case that strongly
shelved how very reprebensible,• and even dam
gerous, Courts of Inquiry were, which was that of Sir
John Goddard, who before a Court Martial pleaded
tliat before a Court of Inquiry he had answered ques-
tions which tended to criminate himself. Having
said thus much, the Noble -Lord observed, it would
be unnecessary to state to the House, that in May
last an insurrection had burst forth at Madrid, and
subsequent ones in different parts of the North and
• South of Spain. Nothing could at that moment be
more auspicious for the people inclined to insurr-c-
-• tiQn, than the warmth and zeal of the people. of this
country to assist them, and the power the Govern-
ment at that time possessed of gratifying the wishes
of the people, and of affording ample succour to
those who were so desirous of becoming our allies.—