Star.
London, England, 1809-02-23 00:00:00

A Message from the Lords signified their Lordihips assent to
the Equity Debtors Relief Bill.
Mr. DUNDAS presented a petition from Jame; Grodiff, one
of the Engrossing Clerks of the House, to apologize for some error
or omission unintentionally made by him in the Act of the last
Session for imposing duties on spirits and wash from sugar and
grain : it being read, was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. DUNDAS promised to call the attention of the House to
'the subject on Monday next.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT presented a petition from the Mayor
and Corporation of Waterford, against the Irish Distillery Bill
now pending.—Ordered to lie on the table.
On the motion of Mr. FOSTER, the House resolved itself into
a Committee of Supply, to whom were referred the Irish Esti-
=tea for the service of the year.
On the motion of Mr. FOSTER for the sum of 25,0001. for de-
fraying the expences of the different civil buildings in Ireland for
the year,
Lord TEMPLE and Sir JOHN NEWPORT objected to the
Right Hon. Gentleman's bringing forward, without due notice,
these motions for estimates, to many of which, he must be aware,
there were strong objections to be offered by Right Honourable
Members not now in their places.
Mr. FOSTER said the notice of bringing forward the usual
grants for public charities, and certain other purposes, had been
publicly given some days ago, and were on the paper of this day.
His purpose was only to move to-day for the usual grants, to
which there was never any objection, having no wish to urge any
other until a future day.
After some conversation betwlitn those Right Honourable
Members and Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY, the motion was
agreed to.
Mr. FOSTER then proceeded to move the usual annual grants
to certain public charities, institutions, and public works, in Ire-
land, which were agreed to, until he came to the motion for 8001.
to be granted to the Commissioners for Charitable Donations in
Ireland, when
Sir J. NEWPORT called the attention of the
Committee to the nature of the institution of these
Commissioners, and a rec9nt circumstance in their
procedure, which demanded the notice of Parliament
before any such Grant should be allowed to them.—.
The Commission, he said, was originally vested in a
certain number of the House of Lords in Ireland, and
its truly laudable objet was to prevent abuses in the
disposal of charitable donations and bequests, by pre-
venting the executors, trustees, and others, to whom
such bequests were confided, from converting them
to their own private emolument. The Commission
jvas executed by the Lords' Committee up to the
-union, and it then became necessary topprovide other
managers, who were accordingly appointed. About
two years since an elderly Catholic Lady died at Wa-
terford, and by her will bequeathed to charitable uses
a sum of 11,0001. of which 10001. was to be distri-
buted amongst the poor of Waterford, expressly with-
out any distinction of religious persuasions ; and thel
remainder was to be appropriated partly in providing
an asylum and maintenance for a certain number of
decayed gentlewomen of the Catholic persuasion, and
for educating a certain number of boys and girls, the
children of poor parents, and the Executors named
in the will were the Citholic Bishops of Cashel and
Waterford, and a Lay Parson. The Catholic Bishop
of Cashel declined to act, but_ the others did not.—
A letter was written to the acting Executors from the
Commissioners of Charitable Bequests, requesting
some explanation as to the extent of the legacy, its
objects, and whether they had transferred the money
to the public Funds ? To this, Doctor Power, the
Catholic Bishop of Waterford, returned for answer,
that some objection bad been made on the behalf of
a residuary legatee ; that he had not transferred the
money to thelrunds, because it was already in the
hands of the Marquis of Waterford, and other re-
sponsible persons, who paid interest at the rate of six
per cent. being much more than it would produce in
the Funds, and that he had already begun to distri-
bute part of the legacy, and would, as soon as possi-
ble, dispose of the remainder, agreeably to the condi-
tions of the will. He received an answer from the
Commissioners, expressing thanks for the frankness of
his communication, and promising to give him no
further trouble ; but what was his astonishment to
find in the following term, a bill sled against himself
and the other executor, in the Court of Chancery (in-
stigated by these very Commissioners for Charitable
Bequests, in direct perversion of the duties of weir
Office) for the purpose of setting aside this will be-
queathing charity to poor persons in Ireland, to de-
prive them of the benefits of that bequest, and to in-
crease the residuum to a lady, the residuary legatee,
and living at Seville, in Spain. This was, not only
a direct perversion of the obvious duties of the Corn-
missioners to the poor, for whom they were trustees,
but it was felt in other quarters as an act of gross
prejudice and of religious rancour. There was no
law of Ireland for making any provision for the poor
of the Catholic persuasion, and surely nothing could
be more cruel, oppressive, or unjust, than to defeat
the humans; purpose of pious and charitable persons
of their own sect, who had property to bequeath,
from making some provisions for the poor of their
own religion, who were not chargeable upon •any
other sect. This was felt in Waterford especially, and
tended in a very.prominent degree to excite clamour
add discontent ; and be therefore wished to appeal to
theor
laCowmexmpiueneediw
,tw.liweithinerc:.areitsidwianssudcehCeantwafoyr such a
Committee to apply to this House for compensation