Star.
London, England, 1825-03-25 00:00:00

• The Howe then divided es the 41UtbII041—
For the Recommitment
Again,t it

.
. . .

Majority against the

. 20
• 91

Mr. LA MB ON presented a Petition front Stockton, for a re-
peal of the Window Tax.—Ordered to be printed.
A Message was received front the Lords, asking permission for
Sir J. N IMPORT to attend as a witness before the Committee of the
Lords on the State of Ireland, which permission was grouted.
Mr. WEBB presented a Petition from the Inhabitains of Chel-
tenhatn, fur a repeal of the Window Tax.—Ordered to he printed.
Sir IL SO A W presented a Petition from the Chamber of Coin-
nterce of the City of Dublin, for the reduction of the duties an Fire
‘surance.—Ordered to be printed. •
Mr. B. COOPER presented a Petition from the Rural Dean and
C:ergy of Gloucester, against the Catholic Claims. The Honourable
'!ember sat.: there was an indisposition in the Noise to receive
Petitions front the Clergy.
Mr. HUME denied that there was any such indisposition. The
meeting at which this Petition origina:e.l was very informal. Only
seven Clergymen attended, and only two of them signed it at the
time. '!'be Petition was anerwatds sent round to obtain signatures.
lle wa; glad to see this sort of Petition presented.
Mr. is. COOPER explained, tILt It was not the Petition of the
lL..n and Chapter of Gloucester, but from the Rural Dean and
Clergy of the Deanery of Gloucester.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said the Petition did not profess to be front
the Dean ant'. Chapter. 11. reprobated the mode adopted of institut-
tog such by scrutiny into the history of 'Petitions. Same one must
qintite them, and then they must be sent about for signatures.
The Petition was then brought up, and ordered to be printed. .
Mr. G RUSSET presented a Petition from Chippenham, against
any further concessions, to the Catholics.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. SYKES presented a Petition from Kingston-upon-Htill,
praying a revision of the Corn Laws. The Honourable Member
‘segged to impress upon thz minds of his Majesty's Ministers the
'neces.i.y of giving their serious consideration to this must iinport-
ant sobject.—Ordered to be printed.
Mi. NORTH presented a Petition from Newry, in favour of
the Stock Provincial, Banking Company in Ireland.
Mr. S. WORTLEY brought in a Bill for the better preventing
fraud in the manufacture of Cutlery Articles in England. Reid a
first time, and ordered to be read a second time .'n the Rist of April.
Mr. COURTEN AY gave notice that he should to-m-rrow move
for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Bankrupt Laws.
Mr. PLUNKETT presented a Petition from the Protestant la.
hobitants of the town of Newry, in favour of the Catholic Claims.
—Ordered to be printed.
Sir J. NEWPORT presented a Petition Croat the Chamber of
Commerce of Newry, against any alteration in the Laws relating to
the Butter Trade.—Ordered to be printed.
ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
Mr. R. MA KT I N rose,pursuant to notice, to move for
Dave to bring in aßill to amend the Act fur preventing the
ill-treatment of animals. There were certain omissions in
the law wilich he was anxious to supply, and he also pro-
posed to make the offence punishable with greaterseverity.
What man could hear of a horse's eye being maliciously
knocked out, and not think that the crime deserved a
higher punishment than a fine of 51. or a month or two
of imprisonment ? The principal difference from the old Act would
be the introduction of a clause to allow Magistrates or the Quarter
Sessions to award reasonable expenses to persons prosecuting
under it, so that they should not be losers. The Hon. Member then
moved fur leave to bring in a Bill to amend the former Act.
Mr. H EATHCOTE opposed the motion.
Mr. F. PALMER objected to Any legislative mea-
sure upon such a subject, and expressed his regret that
the former Act had passed. He stated that he was
present in one instance where the Hon. Member called a coachman
to order—(A laugh)—for flogging a horse, not over the head and
eyes—but only for such a use of the whip as was necessary to keep
him to his work. He should support his Hon. Friend in opposing
the further progress of any such measures.
'Mr. LOCKHART thought great thanks were due to
the Hon. Member for Galway, in consequer.ce of his
endeavours, Parliament had consecrated the great prin-
ciple that the inferior animals were entitled to the pro-
tection of the law. He thought, however, with the
Hon. Member for Knaresborough, that more was to he expected
from the moral influence of this decision upon the minds of the
people, than from any punishment which could be inflicted. He
therefore advised the Hon. Member not to press further legislations.
It would only injure the existing law, which appeared to hint to be
sufficiently efective.
Mr. WARRE supported the motion.--Mr. GORDON ob-
jected to it.
Mr. C. WILSON said, that as far as his observa-
tion went, be thought it would be advisable to make the Wm,
a misdemeanour, and upon this ground he should vote for the motion.
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON said, that und: r the
present law, many convictions had taken place, and it had cons.
pletely altered the character of the Smithfield drovers. He was
into
tto, hmoiws ve
me preparedre,anoun.
althoughto g t I thee length of d
vote
te raisingf ooffences
for the
thein trodaugac
ainc:
of the Bill.

Mr. MAXWELL made a few observations in favour
of the motion.
Mr. R MARTIN replied. He stated that one ob-
ject of the Bill was to extend its operation to the dog,
which had been left out in the hurry of drawing up
the former Bill. It further proposed to make the
offence a Misdemeanour.; and in doing this, he claimed
the support of the Learned Attorney and Solicitor Ge.
neral ; for the Bill which he desired to introduce was
in that respect precisely similar to one brought down
to that House from the House of Lords, which was
introduced by Lord Erskine, and received the :auction
of the Lord Chancellor and the late Lord Ellenborough.
With regard to what had fallen from the Hun. Mem-
ber for Reading (Mr. F. Palmer), be
.believed that
Hon. Member pretended to be an equestrian ; but he
knew little of the proper treatment of a horse if he would flog him
for starting. He advised the Hen. Member to make himself
better informed upon the subject before he spoke about it in that
House. He could assure him, too, that to be the only solitary
instance of a Member getting up and expressing his regret that the
present Act bad passed into a law, would be no recommendation
to him at his next election.—The House then divided—
For the Motion • • • 23
Against it • • 33
Majority —lO
SEAMEN 9 WAGES.
Mr. HUSKISSON rose to move for leave to bring
in the Bill for making the new regulations relating to
the payment of Seamen's Wages. The first observations
of the Honourable Member, upon the point or paying
the men a certain allowance in foreign ports, were not
audible, in consequence of the rush of strangers into the
gallery. He stated another object of the Bill to be that
of legalizing the payment of seamen in ports where
there was no resident Commissioner. According to the
law as it now stood, if a squadron stationed at Fal-
mouth were ordered for instant service in the North Sea, and a
certaiu arrest of wages remained unpaid, it would be necessary to
rend them round to the Nore, where a Commissioner resided, tie-
tore they could proceed upon the service. It was, therefore, in-
tended to provide that Commissioners should be sent to the fleet,
instead of bringing the fleet to the Commissioner, and also, to em.
power other Officers to superintend the payment, warn the prin-
cipal Officer was unable to attend. He then moved for leave to
bring in a Bill to make further provision for the payment of the
crews of his Majesty's ships.
Mr. HUMR made some remarks relating to the full payment of
seamen upon foreign stvions.
Captain GORDON thought the suggestion of the limounble
Member worthy of consideration.