Star.
London, England, 1822-05-21 00:00:00

LONDON SESSIONS.

Yesterday the London Sessions commenced at the Court of
King's Bench, Guildhall, before the Right Hon. the Loan
MAYOR, Aldermen Sir J. PZRRINO, BRIOGSS, Tuoapr, THOMP-
SON Sheriff &ARIAL?, the Iticoanza, Mr. COMMON SERJLIONT,
and City Olken.
A Gentleman, called upon to serve as a Juror, begged that the
Court would excuse him, upon the ground of his not being able
to bear except at one ear.
The Cotner put some questions to the applicant, which he
heard perfectly well, and there arose in the Court a hesitation as
to the question of his inadmissibility.
The COMMON SLR/ZAlrr (Mr. De.vslax) interposed, and stated
that a Juryman ought to have an ear for eaca tile of a case, in
order to decide with justice.
The application was immediately granted, the Court being de-
cidedly of the Common Serjeant's opinion, and the Gentleman
who had only one car was permitted to depart.
The usual proclamations being read, the Grand Jury were
sworn in, and charged by the RECORDER who spoke with great
pleasure as to the smallness of the calendar; none of the crimes
are of great magnitude—two only for street robbery. In the
course (.1 kis charge, he directed the attention of the Jury
to a great public nuisance, by which the lives of persons were
often endangered—he meant the enormous rans, which passed
along the streets, laden sometimes to the height of thirty feet :
if any evidence should come before them, respecting these dan-
gerous vehicles, he said they would doubtless consider them as
nuisances to be suppressed by the law.

Bow_seitege.--Lett night Thomas .T y, late a peatiilicorl In the
service of the KING, was brought before Mr. fill-von:Li. who sat
for Sir Rica...ins Dimas, and underwent a final examination
on
the charge of stealing a watch, riband, and seal, from the per-
son of a man unknown.
When he was put to the bar, the Magistrate desired the wit-
nesses to be sworn afresh, and the evidence to be read over. This
being done, be inquired if the gentleman, whu was said to have
been robbed, was present? but no answer was returned in the
a/Br:native.
Mr. lihsaurm. asked Gook, the Constable, and the other wit-
nesses, if they knew the prisoner before the night in question?
They saki they did not know him at all as a person of bad
character before that night.
31r. Mftisnote— Are you quite sure then that be Is the man?
Gook—Quite eonfide.it.
Mr. Musnou.—Have you no doubt of it)
Gook—None whatever. I left 20 known thieves to follow
him, and be made great resistance, or we should not have lost
the gentleman who was robbed.
Prisoner—That is false ; I gave myself up quietly.
Geok—You did net, anl you know ft.
Mr. MISSUULL asked the prisoner if be had anything to say?
Prismser--I have only to say, that what they have 'wont
against me is fah&
Mr. Idsxsatu.i. said It was a grfot pity, but the charge woo
sworn to, and the privets' must be committed.
He was folly committed to Newsom for trial, for *glue at
watch, Jw from the person of a IMO wham% Nadi the wit-
- were hound ?err to pnesee!itt.

seises .
The prisoner De loupe Weft the wimp Neer/ of his Ma-
jesty's housrield. Uc agrars tale about 111 years of age.

Carrick-on-Suir, praying that a further duty should he imposed
on the importation of Dutch Butter.—Ordered to be laid on the
table, and printed.
Mr. ABERCROAIBY postponed his motion relative to the
Prosecutions of the Press In Scotland, to Thursday, June 13th.
Lord A. HAMILTON presented Petitions front the Corp°-
, ration of the City of F.dinburgh, from the Towu of Dundee,
and the Borough of Perth, against the Bill for Scotch Burgh
Reform.—Laid on the table.

Mr. CUItTEIS presented a Petition from the Parish of Bur-
wold, in Sussex, complaining of distress—Laid on the table.
Mr. CU RTEIS postponed a motion, of which he had given
notice, relative to Hop Begs, to the 14th of June.
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON, seeing the Lord Ad-
vocate in his place, wished to learn from him what were his
ulterior views with regard to the Bill relative to the Scotch
Burghs? As expedition was a great object, he would move that
the Bill be read that day se'nnight.
The LORD ADVOCATE acid, he was about to inform the
House on a former evening of the causes of the delay which had
occurred with regard to his Bill, but he had been prevented from
doing so by the Noble Lord, who caused the House to be counted
out. He would not satisfy the Noble Laid on the present occa-
sion, though he should be prepared to give a full explanation to
the House hereafter.

After a few words from Mr. Asascaomay,the second reading
of the Bill was fixed according to the notice of Lord ARCHIBALD
HAMILTON.
Sir It. H. VIVIAN presented a Petition from the Inhabitants
of Truro, praying that they may be relieved from the great bur-
den of Taxes, and amongst others the Salt Taz.—Ordered to be
laid on the table and printed.
Mr. S. WOIL'I'LEY presented a Petition from the Farmers
and Tanners in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, praying's repeal
of the Leather Tax. He wished to take that opportunity of
calling the attention of the Right Hon. Gentleman, the Secretary
of the Treasury, to a circumstance which required some expla-
nation. Though the Agricultural Horse Tax was repealed, there
were some farmers who paid a great deal more now than before
the repeal of that Tat.
Mr. LUSHINGTON said, that owing to some misapprehen-
sion on the part of the Collectors, a tax of P 3. 17s. 6d. was
levied on the riding horse of a farmer; however. instructions
were Issued to them not to make any such demand in future ;
and to remove all misapprehension on the subject, it was his in-
tention to give notice that he would move for leave to bring in a
Bill to regulate the collection better.—The Petition was Lid on
the table, and ordered to be printed.
Dlr. S. WORTLEY presented a Petition from the Ship.
owners of Whitby, in the county of York, against the Bill in
progress for the alteration of the Navigation Laws.—Laid on
the table, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. COKE presented a Petition from the Ship-owners of the
Port of Wells, in Norfolk, against the Bill for altering the Na-
vigation Laws.—Laid ois the table, and ordered to be printed.
The,llon. Gentleman also presented a Petition from the Owners
and Occupiers of Land in Norfolk, complaining of Agricultural
Distress, and praying sr:Ref.—Laid on the table, and ordered
to be printed.
Mr. HUME presented a Petition, signed by nearly fifty Law
Stationers of the City of London, ageing the MU in progress for
regulating the Stamp Duties. The Petishlters complained that
the Bill, if passed into a law, would lessen their profits front
306. to 20s. and would give the country sellers of stamps a eon.
siderable advantage over thin.—The Petition was laid on the
wide, and ordered to be pidneed.
, The Irish Poor Fund UN Passed through a Committee, and
the Report was ordered to be brought pp tomorrow.
The Committee on the Colonial Trade Importation *Duties
_ _

fill was postponed di tcraserrow.
On the motion of Mr. eIIETW7IIO6 the further midden.
tion of the Report on the Vara= Laws Aln,p4ineat• was
postpoattl till to-tztotrow.
, t

Mr. S. RICE said that the Right Hon. Gentleman
.(Mr. Goulburn) did not deal fairly with the question.
He did not think any confidence was to be placed in
the measure intended to be submitted to the House
by Government. The Attorney-General for Ireland
had already fully stated what that measure would be,
and what it would not. Ile Lad given no grounds
for the expectation of much good to be derived from
it. If the Bill in contemplation was merely to give
a leasing power, it would give no security or confi-
dence to the laity, and consequently would operate
only as a delusion. It was already found by expe-
rience, as in the case of the Episcopacy, to whom a
leasing power was granted, that it did not 'effect a
remedy against the abuses of the system. The sub-
ject, he thought, was one rather of delicacy than diffi-
culty,. and no half measure could prevent the discui-
sion of the subject, which, if the whole question
should come under-the consideration of the House,
would, in his opinion, be fraught with incalculable
dangers to the Church. Would to GOD that the Pro-
testant Clergy of Irehuld could be summoned to the
bar of the House! On the evidence of the respect-
able parochial Clergy—the working Clergy, he would
be willing to rest the adjustment of the whole case.
The well paid Episcopacy—he spoke of them as a
body—individually he highly respected them ; but
he must say, that the Episcopacy stood in the way
of every arrangement which went to alter the pre-
sent system. Even the measure intended by Govern.
ment, he believed, was opposed by the Bishops.—
There was one statement which he thought it neces-
sary to mention to the House, because it was in some
measure a proof that a more satisfactory arrangement
than that intended by Government could be made.
This 'statement was derived from Returns laid on the
table of the number of causes tried in the Consistorial
Courts in Ireland. The Return to which he alluded
was from the diocese of Dromore. The number of
causes tried in that diocese was only 15, and there
was an agreement between the Clergy and landholders
to pay att acreable tithe of from Is. 6d. to 2s.—
This was a strong proof that a territorial assessment
would be the best remedy against . the evils of the
present system. His views on tithes must be greatly
misunderstood, if it were supposed he sought to abo-
lish them ; he was far from coinciding in the opinions
' of those who, at the Union, would have stolen away
the Church property without giving any compensa-
tion. He thought it unfair to throw such unmerited
censure on Irish landlords, and that from the highest
'quarter. This was no encouragement to them to
exert themselves towards the improvement of the
condition of that country. if it were intended they
should exert themselves, they should not be held forth
to odium and to be stigmatized. If Government
would propose any measure which would throw the
tithes on the rent, he would give it his most cordial,
I anxious, and grateful support.
Mr. PLUNKET'I' observed, that the House must
be sensible of the inconvenience of agitating this ques-
tion, when the period for the introduction of the Bill
was so near at hand ; besides, the Petition did not
warrant such a discussion as the present. The Peti-
tion only referred to the collection ; the grievances
complained of arose from that source only. He
thought he was unfairly dealt with as to the country
Gentlemen of Ireland; it was impossible he could
cast any censure upon a body of Gentlemen .with
whom he lived in habits of intimacy, and for whom
he entertained the highest respect. He alluded, in
speaking of these Gentlemen, to the evils %thieh arose
from the nature of the system, and which were most
felt where the rents were heaviest. Hewes quite reedy
to agree with the Hon. Member for the County of
Down, that nowhere were there more good taste and
kind feeling displayed than by the Gentlemen-of that
County. and nowhere were there more wise proprit.
. tors, nod it was for that reason the peasantry were
not there so clamorous against tithes as in other yam
of Ireland. It was desirable that the peasantry and


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