Star.
London, England, 1809-03-01 00:00:00

of Equity, and the cchsequent depositions of witnesses
at some former period, in respect to the riabf of the
lessor, or if not the whole of the proceedings,. theft if'
any, and what part of the same, could be received in
evidence, at a subsequent-period, on the trial of that
ejectment ?
Earl STANHOPE, at consider-able length, stated
his opinion on this subject, and contended, that ne bill
filed merely could be evidence afterwards, because it
alight be filed without the knowledge of the party.—
He recommended a dilerent mode of proposing the
question, in order to extract from the Judges what
was the principle of the law respecting the admissibi-
lity of this sort oleviderce ? The best opinion was
that c f Lord Mansfield, who had laid down a wise and
correct maxim ; namely, that the common law of
England was not a law of case, and,precedent, but a
law of principle. He therefore should, without ob-
jecting to the Noble and Learned Lord's queStion,
propose other questions of his own : one of which
was, whether, in any case, generally, such evidence
was admissible ? He also proposed that it should be
submitted to the Judges, that rules in cases of this
description ought to he clearly defined, in order to be
consistent with the principle of the common law.
The Lord Chancellor's question was agreed to
as were, with the exception of the last, those of Earl
Stanhope. Further proceedings on Friday.
Adjourned till To-morrow.

HOUSE OE COMMONS. .
Mr. PETER MOORE presented a Petition from the likiso•
ners for Debt in the Jail of Coventry, pr.Pying relief by an Insol-
vent Act.
The Scotch Law (respecting Child Murder) Amendment Bill
was read the second time, and commitr-d, at the instance of Sir
SAMUEL Komi; I.T, for this day se.'nnight.
Mr. WHARTON brought up the Report of the Oommittee of
Supplies, and the various resolutions were agreed to.
Mr. DUNDAS moved to recommit to the same Committee the
Petition of J. Goodie, a Clerk of the House, respecting an error
in the engrossed transcript of the Distillery Bill last
dered.

NAST-INDIA PATRONAGIL
Mr. BANKS, Chairman of the Select Committee on Abuses
in the Disposal of East India Patronage, moved to rescind the
order for taking into the custody of theSevieant at,Arms, John
Annesley Shee, alias Calvert, as that person had aipde surrendered
himself.—The Motion then passed.
Mr. BANKS then moved a Resolution—That the said John
Annesley Shee, alias Calvert (reciting his offences) be oomntitted
to his Majesty's Jail of News-ate ; and that the Keeper shall to-
morrow, and from time fo time, bring up the Prisoner, as often
as may be necessary, to give evidence before the said Committee.
—Ordered.

. _
WIDOWS OF NAVAL AND MARINE OFFICERS.
Mr. W. WELLESLEY POLE moved for leave,l
to bring in a Bill for the more convenient payment ofl
the annuities and other allowances, to the Widows of
Naval and Marine Officers, and those on the Compas-
sionate List. ' About the year 1732 or 1733, a fund
was established by the Government of that day, for
the Relief of die Widows of the Officers of the Navy,
'towards which it was deemed expedient to levy a de-
duction of threeftence in the pound, upon the ray of all
Commissioned and Warrant Officers, and also to es-
tablish an allowance from all ships in .the service, un-
der the denoMination of Widows Men, i. e. the pay
of one man out of every hundred men in each ship's
company, was to be appropriated in aid of the said '
fund. After some years had elapsed, this was found
insufficient, and the pay of an additional Widow'sl
man was added. In this way the fund had proceeded
up to the present time, but occasionally it had been
found inadequate of later years : however, it had con-
siderably increased ; so that the fund was now rich,
having a stock of £170,000, in the 3 per Cents, and
the number of widows relieved from it in the last year
was no less than 1800. The rates of allowance be-
gan with £BO a year to Captain's widoWs, and de-
scended in proportionate gradation to those of War-
rant Officers. But it had been found, in the manage-
ment of this fund, that great inconvenience and dis-
tress had arisen in consequence of the widows being
obliged to apply annually in London for their allow-
ance. One of the objects of his Bill, therefore, was
to enable the Court of Assistants to pay them quar-
terly at their own houses, wherever resident, in the,
same manner as was settled for the more convenient
payment of the Widows of Military Officers, by a bill
passed'about two years since. He had much convt.r.'
nation with the person who managed this business at
the War Office, and found there would be no difficulty
in assimilating the disposal of the Naval Fend. It
would be desirable also to extend this mode of reliet
to others who were objects of the charity, though not
exactly in the same way. The Board of Admiralty
had addressed his Majesty, praying that he would be
graciously pleased to order, that the donations to per-
sons upon the Compassionate Fund, should, in like
manner, be paid quarterly, to, those appointed to re-
ceive them, at their own houses. His Majesty was
pleased to approve of this ; and it was another, pur-
pose of his bill to enable the Board of Admiralty to
Felect such Objects as were properly entitkd to aid
from the Compassionate Fund ; to allow them such
sums as they should think fit, and transmit their al-
lowance quartely. These sums to be charged yearly
in the ordinary estimates for the navy.
It was also intended to transmit the half-pay of
marine r, fivers to them in the same manner as to those
of the army, and therefore the bill would enable them
to receive it at their houses. He thought it fair at
the same time that he proposed to include the allow-
ances of the Compassionate List in the annual esti-
mates of the navy, that he should abolish the allow-
ance called indoors' men, which were now regularly
charged in the accounts of every vessel in, the service.
He concluded by moving for leave to bring in the bill.
Mr. R. WARD szconded the motion.
Mr. C. POLE regretted not to have heard from
the Honourable Gentleman in the detail of his intend.
ed bill, any provision for a purpose which he conceived
to the full as important as any other object it had in
view, namely, a provision for the orphan children of
Naval and Marine Officers, and their educati"n.
Mr. POLE replied, that the provisions intended by
his Bill, were the same as those for the families of de-
cea:-.ed Military Officers, namely, for the widows and
orphans, who were to remain on the fund so long as
they continued objects of charity.
Mr. CA LC R A F'P asked the HonourableGentle-
Irna.‘whetlicr the NV WOWS of Marine o:3cert were nol.
eat t3..i to some from the funds of Chelsea
11.,5p1t.11, ch as Marine Officers were obliged
to cootr:bute :o that fund; as well as to Greenwich
Hospital ?
Mr. fOLE said he fearedithat be was not prepared
to answer satisfactorily the question so unexpectedly
put to him by the olienourable Gentleman. 'But he-