Star.
London, England, 1814-03-25 00:00:00

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0 prevent vexatious actions under the forty thitd Of
the King."
:tit. WIIITBREAts moats stoty the Leaette'd Ci.
vii .in, with Whom the Bill originated, undcr which
these prosecutions had been commenced, had left the
1-louse thit; day: He could have hoped from him some
explanation, which might have been an apology
for tie House havinz passed an Act which had pro.
duce.l effects so diametrically opposite to those which
vele expected from it. But as the Learned Mem-
ber for the University of Oxford had thought pro-
per
thus to leave them, it was Fitting for those
who were present to state what occnrred to them on
this subject. Some few years ago, the bill under which
these prosecti i ins were instituted, was prevared by a
Learned Gentleman of great talents, Mei took the j
business out of the hand's of a Cotanty Member, to
secure the Clergy from prosecutions under certain ,
Acts Of lienry the Eighth. This Bill was pissed by
the Coate:oils, sent by them to the Lords, and passed
there also; and now that it had been in operation
eleven yeats, another Bill was to be brought in to
save persons from being ruined by penalties undo
this Act, whose conduct, it should seem, has been not'
only innocent, but meritorious: Those who remem-
bered the proceedings on that Bill, and who heard the
'speeches then delivered, must'be struck with what
they had heard that day. At that time it was con-
tended, that every thing ought to he done to induee
informers to come forward. For this purpose, it was
thought right that the whole of the penalties should go,
to the informers. It was then said to be desirable that
every encouragement should be given to them ; they
were not then held up to reproach as obnoxious per-
sons; but the moment an informer came forward,
certain he was right according to law, the House was
first called upoo to suspend the proceedings which
bad been instituted against the Clergy; secondly, to
continue that suspension ; thirdly, to crush the prose-
cutions; and fourthly, they would be called upon to
alter the law. One instance had come to his know-
ledge in the Diocese of Norwisch, who had performed
the duty ot two churches between thirty and forty
years, and in all that time had not been absent so
Many earl. Nevertheless, he was now prosecuted
for penalties, which, if the law were enforced, must
send him to a jail. This was a case which called for
relief ; and where there were difficulties in deciding
both ways, he should he disposed to raise his voice in
favour of giving it. Bit the Right Hon. Gentleman
]tad said ot ninety-two cases, in the Dioce,e of Lon.
dr,n, there were but two that Were ambignom,, and
these he could not pronounce against : stating this he
proved too much. If such wet e the fact, they ought
to do honour to the CI .rgy,--admit that the Legis-
lature had acted under a wrong impression,---that
restr:ctions were unnecessary., and that-all they had
beard of their being absent fror^ their pa ashes, and
4teglecting their parochial duties, must be unfounded.
He would rather entertain the bill, than ,rifer the un-
fortunate person affected by these pio, 'Lions to be
Utterly ruined. This would be acknoa“.... ging the
former act of the House to be one whicti o,iilit not
to have passed, and he hoped the Right Ho . Gen-
tleman VII() brought that Bill in, would assist in
framing A pe w one, and in this he wished him better
success than he had with the last.
Mr. PRESTON was' in favour of the Bill.
• Mr. WETHERALL censdred some ot the provi.
son of the Act under which the prosecutions were
commenced. They attached punishment, not to the
offenct, Which they *ere intended to guard against,
bot to. the simple fact, of non-residence, under any
tiretithstances. In the whole penal cede, he thought
no tither instance could be found where the punish.
tnent was made conseqUent on thetomission of a form,
and not on the commission of a crime. Whoever its
author was, he hoped he would co-operate to do awry
provisions Which were proved to . be bad, and enact
those which might do good.
Mr. W. WYN NE thought it hard for the informer,
then he called for what he was entitled to by law,
that the House should step in to prevent his recover-
ing the penalties. Ina
, case of such extreme diffi-
culty, he could have wished that each petition had
been referred- to a Committee, where a counter-state'
ment or petition could bare been made or put in by
the informer.

~. 0_

Mr:BATHURST, in reply, said it was not a new
case that a law should not exactly answer the purpose
for which it was framed, or that it should be pervert.
ed in its application. He thought the process recom-
mended by the Hon. Gentleman (Mi. Wynne) one
that it would have been very improper to adopt, as,
had this been done, the informer might have gained
any information he needed, and frequently asi.ettain-
et: whether he could support his action or not. The
Bin. Gentleman (Mr. Whitbread) seemed to think
he had proved too tnucit. He had fairly stated that
of ninety-two cases, there were but two that appeared
~,:ithout excuse—but granting that -against ten or
?wive more, a good flaw could be found, where such
a disparity as seventy to twenty appeared, he thought
the Interference of Parliament was called for. It was
not the worst cases that Mr. Wright looked for.—
Thos,, where t;.e parties were least culpable, would
suit his purpose quite as Well. He might even.Rrefer
going to a Clergyman, who had no vicarage house,
'lnd say to him at once—,, You have no proper resi-
dence—you are living in your own house, and I will
bring An action against you." It was such cases a,
these that Mr. Wright might think he could best turn
te his own emolument. With respect to what bad
beet said of the Learned Gentleman who brought
tte former Bill into the House, he had to say that he
di..l not take it out of the hands of a county Member.`
The House, after trying their hand at it, had thought
trim most competent to the task, and at their desire it
-was !hat helook it upon himself.
l‘lr. W. WI. s:Ne explained.
Leave was given to bring in the bill, which was
`•hortly after bronght in by Mr. Bathurst. It was read
a m
first, and ordered to be read a second tie on
Thursday next, and to be printed.
Mr. BATHURST obtained leave to bring in a
Bill to extend the Act suspending the proceedings
against the Clergy for a time to be limited. He then
brought to the Bill, which was read a first, and or-1
tiereu to be read a second time to-morrow..
Mr. BROGDEN brought in a Dill to extend the
period within which the .Lords of the Treasury are
enabled to purchase legal quays.—Read a first, and
ordered to be read a second time to-morrow.
The Committee on the Copper Currency was post-
Por,cd by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Tuesday.
"—Adjourned till to-morrow (this thiY.)

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1614,
LADY-DAv.—Hlliday at the Bank.

The Thanks of Parliament were last night voted
to the illustrious WELLINGTON. The debate in both
Houses was rendered peculiarly important from the
various topics introduced, and all bearing on circum-
stances connected with the present interesting crisis.

The vessel which brought the Messengers or De-
puties from Bourdeanx, as announced by Telegraph
on Wednesday evening, was his Majesty's cutter
14 ANDRAIL. She left Bnurdeaux on the 18th, six
days after the occupation of the place. Nothing has
transpired respecting the official accounts brought by
the LANDRA IL, farther than that they are highly satis-
factory. From the following letter it appears they-can-
not be otherwise. The whole country is in a state of
Revolution, in favour of the ancient dynasty:

s' FALMOUTH, MARCH 22.

41 Arrived his Majesty's cutter LANDRAIL, Lieut.
Firt.t., from Bourdeaux, which pl4ce she left on Fri.
day last, having twn French Messengers on hoard,
wearing the White Cockade. They report that the
streets of Bourdeaux were strewed with laurels to re-
ceive the British, and that the whole country was in
a state of RevOlution, and declaring for Lours XVIII.
Also arrived a galliot from Bourdeaux, laden with
salt, prize to the Telegraph selunner."
A frigate is ordered to convey the Duc de BERRI
forthwith from Jersey to Bourdeaux, he being a more
active and enterpri:,ing young man than his brother
the Duc d'AscouLENts.

Let us hope that this burst of loyalty in the South
of })-ance may not have been rendered abortive by
any event in the North. At this moment great appre-
hensions have been excised on this point by the know-
ledge that a heavy firing was heard at Dover, yes-
terday afternoon, from the French coast, as stated in
the following short letter :

" DOVER, MARCH 24.

6, This afternoon a heavy firing, supposed from the
guns at Calais, Boulogne, and neighbourhood, were
distinctly heard on our pier-heads and on the heights.
It continued between two and three hours."

The report of a great firing along the French Coast
ha 4 a great effect at the Stock Exchange. Consols
opened at 70, and rose to 7O for money, and almost
immediately fell to GS 1, at which price they remained,
at twelve o'clock. The report, we are happy to adds
is now discredited, as the 'guard of the Dover mail
coach, who left that town at seven o'clock last night,
afrixinc that no firing was heard; indeed the writer of
the letter received at LLOYD'S, proves to be the Cap_
tain of one of the Jamaica fleet, who had separated,
and put into Dover, nor do any other letters mention
the circumstance.

There are several letters in Town from Holland,
which repeat the rumour of the rupture of the Nego-

ciations.

-11r—
A Messenger arrived a's morning with dispatches
from our Minister at Lisbon. They contain no in-
telligence of importance.

Her NIA.7EsTv and the PRINCESSES went to Carlton
Howe to dinner on Wednesday evening, in chairs,
attended by a party of the Yeomen of the Guard, and
their footmen in state liveries. The Princess CHAR-
LOTTE and a select party of the particular friends of
the QUEEN were invited to meet them. At nine
o'clock there was a select party to meet her MAJESTY
to tea. At halt-past eleven the party broke up, when
the QUEEN and PRINCESSES returned to the Queen's
Palace, and the Princess CHARLaTTE, attended by the
Duchess of LEEDS, to Warwick Home.
At two o'clock, her MAJESTY and the PRINCEMES
weileito honour Mrs. and Miss FIELDING with a morn-
ing visit, at their apartments in St. James's Palace ;
and at four o'clock returned to the Queen's Palace.
In the evening, between six and seven, they went to
Carlton House, to dine with the PRINCE REGENT.

Yesterday .the Dukes of
.Yont and Sussex, the
Duchess of Yoait, and a number of the female No-
bility, visited her MAJESTY and the PRINCESSES at the
Queen's Palace.
The Duchess of OLDENEURGH (sister to the Em-
pet or ALExanEtt), who is expected to bestow her
tau hand on the Duke of CLARENCE, is expected in
England in a feW days. The whole of the Pulteney
Hotel, in Piccadilly, has been taken for the accom-
modati,n of her Highness and suite for six months,
at the price, it is said, of five thousand guineas.

Lord WeLuNtrrot4 dispatched several couriers by
different routes, with instructions to make their way
to Lord CASTLEREAGH with the news of his victory ;
and there was therefore reason to hope, that one or
other of them would reach him in safety.

The fallowing sick and wounded Hussar Officers
were doing well at the beginning of the present month,
at tile Hospital Station, Vittoria :

Captain Hamlin, 7th Hussars. Lieutenant Make, 7th Hussars.
Captain Hyliger, ditto, severely. I Captain Croke:. 18th Hassan.
LialLenallt. Greenfield, ditto. Lent. G. Woodberry, ditto,

The Vesta has reached the Coast from Passages,
after the short voyage of three days, and by this op-
portunity we are informed that the desertions in the
French army, during the late actions in Gascony,
amounted to 16,000 men. It has not been correctly
stated that they threw away their arms. Subsequent
to the transmission of the dispatches, it was discover-
ed that the greater part of them was regularly piled,
in order that they m►ght devolve into the possession
of the Allies. The men who bad deserted did not
join the standard of Lotd Watuttaron, but dispers-
ed, aud proceeded to their haws..