Star.
London, England, 1831-03-16 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

The Earl of CHICHESTER presented the petition of the nobility
and gentry of Sussex, praying for some measure to relieve agricultural
distress. The noble earl described in strong terms the distress of the
peasantry and farmers, and adverted to emigration and the allotment of
small gardens as the means of affording relief to the poor. It was ne-
cessary, under existing circumstances, that no time should be lost by
Parliament in considering this most pressing evil. The noble earl pre.
seated a similar petition from Brighton.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition oa the sub-
ject of Parliamentary Reform, and observed that he was not disposed
to apply himself to the details of the measure, but there was one point
on which he was desirous of saying a few words. The petition was
from the Borough of Caine. The petitioners prayed their Lordships
would be pleased to extend the right of voting to householders paying
101. rent, as proposed in the bill. It might not be proper for Ida to
allude to any thing like corrupt influence In boroughs, but be could
not avoid saying, that the influence exerted In the borough of Caine
bad never been paid for. (Hear, hear.) For the satisfied*a of those
who took a narrow view of the conduct of borough proprietors, !be
could say he was not proprietor of more than four houses in Caine
which paid 10L a-year rent.

PRISCLIPTVIS MORT KU.
Lord TENTERDEN rose, pursuant to notice, to introduce his
bill for legal improvement in matters relating to prescriptive right,

where the lapse of time renders uncertain the origia of title claimed by
suitors. The object of the bill war to limit within narrower ;stand,
than the law at present allows the period necessary to establish the
validity or ancient customs and contracts. In ecclesiastical courts pre.
sceiptive right was limited to fotty years. At common law I; mu
extend beyond the memory of man, or to the reign of Richard 11. Ti.e
Noble and Learned Lord described the difficulty winch couto. 'l4t
juries had long experienced in their endeavour to trace back prekvip.
Lion ; and it appeared to him to be better to fix the lhuit which d.c jaw
ought to require. The bill provided that where a custom .01 preecTio.
tive right had been enjoyed for a period of 30 years, it shall Lot I,
destroyed. The bill applied to several objects, embracing right,
blished upon custom and enjoyment of advantages, but .core p..tticu•
laxly to composition by modus ckcinuend i, and customs, to pay art,
by pecuniary composition, and other special modes of tititink 11 a
understood the Noble and Learned Lord to limit such cumnots to thirty
years, but his Lordship was heard indistinctly below the bar, and con.
sequcntly the details could not be understood. His object was to read
the bill the first time, print it, and leave it some time for 5;',: considers.
tion of the Reverend and Learned Lords. He accorditlly movol
bill be read the first dine.

The Bishop of BRISTOL expressed a hope that sufficient tit x
would be allowed the clergy to consider the effect this Bill would
produce, and enforce the claims which they then had to dispoko
rights.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY also urger! the necessity of
allowing the clergy time to prepare their claims. The most revert,'
prelate adverted to the unhappy disputes existing on the subject i_
tithes, and observed that much gratitude would be due ro the nobie
and learned lord if he could propose a nets and satisfactory mode of
taking tithe.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE said, he had turned his ann.
don to the best mode of tithing, but had not been able to taa-
pose any better mode. If, however, any better plan could b;
proposed by the Ryht Reverend Bench, It should hare his support.
The LORD C A NCELLOR said, the Laity and Clergy ought to
be grateful to his noble and learned friend for the luminous statement
made on this subject, and for the learning and industry bestowed on the
question. Noble lords in that house might not be acquainted with the
difficulties arising in courts upon questions of prescription. He
convinced that the noble and learned lord's bill would be a valuabie
legal improvement.
The bill was then read the first time, and ordered to be printed.
Lord MELBOURNE gave notice, that on Tuesday next he should
bring in a bill to repeal the sub-letting act.
The Earl of FIFE took occasion to address their lordships. in oppo.
anion to the principles of a bill, which had been introduced by a noble
and learned Lord (Wynford), for the prevention of frauds upon cue.
ditois. The noble earl considered that bill to have a most oppressive
tendency.
The LORD CHANCELLOR thought it hardly fair in the noble
earl to come down with remarks in opposition to a measure not then
before the house. It would have been better, as it would have been
regular, had the noble earl brought forward some specific motion on di:
snbject.
The EARL of FIFE said, such was certainly his intention; h,
should, however, defer making his motion for the prevent.
Lord CARBERY inquired if ilia Majesty's Ministers intended to
repeal the whole of the Sub-letting Act?
Viscount IIELBOURNE answered in the affirmative, although the
principle of the present Bill should, in a great measure be retained.
Adjourned at Seven9'Clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
There being three Election Committee ballots fixed for to-day;
namely, to try the merits of petitions complaining of undue returns for
Pontefract, Peters&ld and Maidstone, the Gallery was not opened till
after five o'clock.

Mr. ORMSBY GORE, in presenting several petitions front Car.
marthen, in support of the ministerial reform measure, said that lie we.
a reformer, but he could not support that measure, he believing that it
would render the safety of the constitution more immure. (Hear and
some laughter.) He should consider himself et liberty to examine tbr
details of the Bill. He admitted that the representation was susceptible
of improvement, but he must declam, that its principles had been lire.
violated by the " healing measure" of 1688. (Hear !)
Petitions from Carmarthen, Brecon, &c. ordered to be printed.
Mr. B. CARTER presented various reform petitions from Ports.
mouth, &c. they seeking no new rights, as most of them were already
freeholders and voters, but desiring to have the constitution in reality
not in name. Petitions ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. HODGES presented a petition from Cranbrook, Kent, is fa.
your of Kefonu ; the petitioners viewing the measure proposal by th..
Ministers t one of renovation, not of revolution. liear.—Ordered to

lie on the table.

The O'CONNOR DON, by the name of " Mr. O'Connor, " was
called on to present petitions. (All eyes were directed towards the
descendant of Milesian renown, and were gratified with beholding a
moat respectable elderly gentleman with powdered hair, and well tied
queue, doubling in length that lately worn by Lord Kenyon. and
equalling in admeasurement that of the memorable George Rose.)—
The petitions he presented were (five) from Roscommon, and (two)
from the county of Meath, against the grant to the Kildare-street
Society.
Mr. HOBHOUSE presented petitions from the parishes of Saint
George, Hanover-squaw, and St. Margaret, Westminster, in favour of
the government plan of parliamentary reform. The latter was signed
by Mr. Jeremy Bentham, and DUO other parishioners. All, even Mr.
Bentham, who was supposed to go beyond most people on this ques-
tion, conceived that the plan now proposed would secure an efficient
representation of the people.
Sir F. BURDETT spoke highly of the great merits and integrity of
Mr. Bentham, and said that such names sanctioning the plan put to
flight those slanders about wild and visionary reformers. That gentle.
man bad devoted his life to the study of constitutional knowledge; and
such support, and the feeling of all England, would, he trusted, give
the country a constitution that would be worthy of paaegyric on other
accounts than that of its name. The sanction of such a name was of
the greatest advantage the name was known to rite whole civilized
world, and he doubted not the estimable value and efficient character of
a measure that was supported by a Bentham. (Hear.)
Petitions ordered to be printed.
Air. HOBHOUSE then presented a petition from cotton.factorsand
silk-factors of Alaeelesfield, against the employment of children for an
unreasonable duration of hours in succession.
Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. ELLICE presented a petition from weavers, in Coventry, in
favour of the reform bill, signed by between 5,000 and 6,000 weavers,
in the course of about six hours— an answer to the allegation that the
proposed measure would injure their interests. He had another poi.
tion front masters and apprentices, praying that their interests might
be protected in the proposed measure.
Air. FYLER supported the petitions. They were sufficient answers
to those who held that the measure would affect the petitioners' inte.
rests; if that were so, they chewed their devotion to their country, by
sacrificing their interests or feelings to what was calculated to promote
the general welfare of the country.
Mr. HUNT sup the first petition ; and said a similar peti-
don had been p in his hands, also praying for the ballot; but it
was judiciously withdrawn, after learning the measure of ministers
for reform. He had heretofore attended a meeting at Coventry, where
the whole town attended; they all agreed to the necessity of having
the protection of the ballot. They now, most properly, supported
the measure of ministers. _ _ .

--
Mr. FYLER said this was an aspersion on Coventry;—.(bear)—bad
It not been market.day the hon. member would not have had 40 per.
sons present:
Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. LITTLITON posited petitions from Burnley, &c. against
tols= duty on cotton. And several petitions from places in
, in favour of the reform measure.
Mr. KR3IP presented a petition from Lewes, in favour of the mea-
sure of reform—which measure he should most cheerfully support.
Sir J. SHELLY said, he had told his constituents, be should
do his utmost to support this measure. (Hear.) Ordered to lie on
the table.
Mr. EGERTON prawn ed a petition from Stockport in favour of
the plan of reform.
REFORM (SCOTLAND) DILL.
The LORD ADVOCATE brought in a bill to amend the repte.
sentatiou in Scotland.
The Hon. C. DOUGLAS was understood to say, that he fully agreed
in the principle of the bill.
Mr. HUAIE hoped it was not the intention of Ministers to move
the second reading on Monday next, as it would be impossible by that
night to receive all the petitions on the subject. He and other MM•
hers bad received a great number, expressing their satisfaction of the
plan ; he, therefore, hoped a day would be set apart to afford en
opportunity of presenting them. He thought Saturday would be a
convenient day.
Cola SIBTHORP had a number of petitions to present, and he
cordially agreed with the hon. member fel Middlesex en the neceulty
era day beilappointed for receiving them.
Lord ALI HORP was of opinion that it would be better to receive
petitions until a later hour—say seven o'clock—as on that evening.
,rather than sit on a Saturday, as sitting on that day was attended with
considerable inconvenience.
Mr. HUNT said, he thought it would be better to receive petitions
until seven o'clock.

After some further discussion,
The LORD ADVOCATE said, be should postpone the second
reading of the bill be has just brought in until Friday se'nnight.(hen.
laieartas he was anxious that gentlemen connected with Sconnim
should
be fully aware, end make themselves acquainted with its demi&
The bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be read a word
time on Friday se'nnight.
The SPEAKER said perhaps the House would excuse him in !up
gating tha propriety of allowing a longer time for presenting pennon',
India than to sit on a Saturday. He did not suggest this for his own
convenience, be had no right or pretension to any such arrangement
was thankful for the indulgence that the house had always shown
towards him. But if Saturday was to be sit apart, only those monk"

.1:o h ,a p.:itions to present would be ptcsent, and perhaps it was deal-
,,,‘,le that many of the petitions should be presented when there was a
iull.ittendance.
lir. HUNT concurred in the propriety of this suggestion. He no-
ic..l on the Saturday set apart for petitions, that as soon as hon. mem-
had ines,:nted those entrusted to them, they quietly walked out of
i•e house. . . .

The conversation was herc'droppecl, without any arrangement being
,ertwl upaa.