Star.
London, England, 1809-04-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Bastardy Bill went through a Committee, the Report of
which a as ordered to be received on Thursday.
The Committee un the Irish Recognizance Bill was postponed
il Monday.
On the Motion of Mr. ROSE, the Order of the Day for read-
ing the Woollen Manufacture Repeal and Amendment Bill a se-
cond time on Friday next was discharged, and a fresh order made
for Tuesday.
Mr. 1-lIHKISSON brought in a Dill to empower the Chief
Commissioners ot 'Customs, &c. in the Vest Indies, to take exa-
•minatiors upon oath. The Bill v....is rcasl a first, and ordered to
be read a second time to-morrow.

Mr. WHARTON brtml;ht up the Report of the Committee of it died away.
supply.
His Lordship then said, there was one other per-
Aft Lt. a r. conversation between Mr. Wurmiß n aid
Lord ClisT r..triii, reTecting the situation of the colony of son whom he must introduce to the notice of the
N -w South Wale., the Resolutions were agreed to. House, and it was not the smallest part of his regret
Sr: J. NEW PORT' brow,tht in a Bill for more t frectually pre- that such third person was a Peer of the Realm.—
v, ming the erntieulentent of money, or securities for money, by we suppose his Lordship alluded to the late Mar-
Collectors or tteceivcrs in irti.vid.—Rea..l a first, and order. d :o
be read a second time to-morrow se'nnight, and to he printed. quis of Sligo, whose name is particularly alluded to
In a Committee o'i Martinique Produce it was resolved, on in Reding's evidence, as the person who had the seat
• e motion cf NI:. ROSE, that the Chairman should be instruct, d ill Parliament to dispose of.)—What then, continued
• t , move for leave to bring in a Bill to allow the importation of
Celt produce, on the payment of similar dutit sto tlmse already he, would signify the Bill of the Chancellor of the
impose:. on the produrt• of other forsign plantations.—The report Exchequer, now on its passage through the Hesse ?
was okaered to be received to-morrow. Of what signification would be the annual resolution

antsc or earaosasosa
Lord A. HAMILTON said, that in rising to state
his reasons for now bringing forward the motion of
which he had given notice respecting a Noble Lord,
it was, he believed, scarcely necessary to preface it
with many observations ; but that he might not lead
any one into an error on the subject, he would as con-
cisely as possible proceed to state what it was he in-
tended to move, and if he should in so doing take
any step which•might be supposed at all contrary to
the rules and practice of the House, he should doubt-
less be corrected and set right. He believed it was
not against any rule of that House to move a censure
against a Member of it, and as in the present instance
it was his intention to ground his motion on the evi-
dence which had come out before a Committee ap-
pointed by the House to inquire into the existence of
abuses in the disposal of India Patronage, he should
in the first place move that the evidence be read ;
after syl4eli, he should submit to the consideration of
the House a resolution of censure on the conduct of
the Noble Lord opposite to him (Lord Castlereagh).
He begged the Noble Lord and the House to believe
his assnrance, that in bringing forward the present
motion, he had no personal animosity or hostility to
the Noble Lord, except in what related to his official
character, and the manner in which it was his opinion
the Noble Lord had so greatly misconducted himself.
There was one remark, and one only, that he would
make respecting himself, viz. his reason for under-
taking to bring forward this motion. It would rea-
dily be in the recollection of the House, that from
his first having the honour of a seat in it, he had ap-
peared, perhaps, more forward than many others, in
bringing under their attention and consideration, de-
linquency of every Lied which came to his knew_
ledge. He thought, therefore, he should be repre-
hensible in the highest degree, if he had been at all
backward on the present occasion, which vretek him,
on the first view of it, as of more than common mag-
nitude. About two years ago, he had taken a very
strenuous part in endeavouring to bring to light the
mai-practices of Mr. Alexander Davison, in the se-
cret and hidden causes and practices of corruption ;
and it had at all times been his first wish and desire,
to expose and lay open such base proceedings to the•
indigisation and reprobation of the House. Having
heretofore done this in several instances, he thought it
a duty peculiarly incumbent on him to bring forward
the present motion ; for of all the functions belong-
ing to Members of that House, it was highly neces—
sary they should act in such a manner as to preserve
a character of respect for themselves, the first body
of men in the kingdom, as representing the whole of
the people. In doing this, he meant strictly to con-
fine himself to the evidence; he meant not to make
any charge against the Noble Lord but what is ac-
tually contained in the evidence before the House,
and in the confession of the Noble Lord opposite to
him. It seemed to him therefore, at first, that nothing
more would be.necessary than to read the evidence ;
but when he reflected on the respect which was due
to the House, he conceived that it would be more
seemiy in him to make a few comments and observa-
tions on the whole transaction as he gradually deve-
loped it, and he thought he had every reason to be-
lieve the result would be, that the House would
show that they were not any party to the transaction.
—lt appeared to him to be necessary to state in the
first place what he thought the nature of the case. In
Ole rear I aoa the Noble Lord received a letter front a
Mr. Reding, an entire stranger, and offering, he be-
lieved, a seat in Parliament. He (Lord A. Hamil-
ton) should have thought that when such an offer
had been male, it would instantly have induced the
Noble Lord opposite to him to bring the person so
fr
oaenen,.., to as speedy punishment as possible ; in- I
stead of which it would be found that the Noble Lord
told Mr. Reding " he did not want a seat in Parlia-
ment for himself, but a friend of his did." The ob-
ject of Reding was not to offer a seat in Parliament
for money, but for a writership ; and the charge
against the Noble Lord was, that he had disposedof
his patronage of a writership to Lord Clancarty, to
iubtain thereby a scat in Parliament. It. appeared
-from the evidence of Lord Clancarty, that having
mentioned die circumstance that the seat could not
be obtained but for a writership, are ( Lord Castle-
reagh) told him that he had a writership undisposed
ct, to which he would be happy to give him (Lord
Clancarty) the recommendation. And on the examiaa-
lion of the Noble Lord (Castlereagh) before the Com-
mittee, he confessed " that he was induced to place a
writership at Lord Ciancarty's disposal, and that the
impressioa under which he did it was, that Lord
Clancartv's coming into Parliament might thereby be
facilitated " Lord A. Hamilton said, that if he were
so miloit that single resolution, and move a Leasure

of that House against corruption ? How wes it pos- the Censure he should movefor—but, out of respect to
sible that any Administratioe, or that House, should the House, he had deemed it more decorous to preface
hereafter expectany future delinquency, proved against it with the eommentshehacl made, and should still make
the smaller classes of society, should be punished by on it. He would now beg leave to call the attention of
them, when two persons, one a Member of that the House to a feature of the transaction which carried
House, another late a Member of the Board of with it a feature of disdain. In page 61 of the evi-
Controul, and the third a Peer of the Realm, dence Mr. G. Davies was examined. There had been
should, in this clear and unquestionable manner, have some correspondence, and the Noble Lord's mince
been proved guilty of so gross a violation of the rules stood opposite to it. A Mrs. Groves was a party to
and constitution of the House, and that they should the transaction about the Writership, and Davies, in
suffer it to pass without their strong and marked re- his examination said, tbat Reding was employed by
probation ? For his own part, he did not affect to her to go to a Peeress, and he conceived that name
have a greater sensibility on this subject than any was mentioned in a confidential way to him, and he
other individual Member, but he thought it was to- was not at liberty to impart it.
tally impossible for the House to pass it by. He Q. Have you ever written about it to anybody ? I believe I did,
could not but notice a variety
,of situations in which to her Lord.—Q. Do you believe that the transaction was to take
the Noble Lord had been placed, which should have Place through that Lady? A. Mrs. Groves assured me that was
theMrscaoser-o—vQ. Did tilkdirtihnsaction take race ?
.A.n ,‘d
deterred him from embarking in this unfortunate Certainly. not ;
—Q.
Who was'
transaction. The Noble Lord must, as a Member of and that it was es !Board of COnwtroulas aapcp:Ligtemeint.
Parliament, have concurred in the various censures at the head of the Board of Cowtroul at that time ? A. I don't
that have taken place since the Noble Lord had a know.—Q. Did she not mention by whom it was to be given to
Castlereagh
A Noble
the Viscounten wanstiomeednlon
mentioned.
.t o me.—Q.
He
seat in it, some of them for offences of the very same z4o,ausr lir ioerndd ?
complexion, and which one would suppose must at Q. Was not Lord Castlereagilt rthsoe person to whim you wrsete,
the moment have suggested themselves to his recol- communicating these circumstances? A. He was.—Q. How long
lection. The Noble Lord was also a servant of the ago was that transaction ?A. It was in the beginning of 1806 ;it
Crown, had long been so, and as such it. was his wasredat
for
eimoNmvent of the change of Administration that she
rortice
is
Downing-street,
wwnriontge
itt or
eldest Lordship,and I
bounden duty to protect and defend not only the caparlalt his cdheaoregarestedd me
day.—n.
House, of which he was a Member, but the Govern- Did you see him ? A. No, he was at the Council, and 1 r4e)e.eived
ment, of which he was a confidential servant, from a note the next day, acknowledging the receipt of it, and request-
every attempt and attack of the hydra corruption.— ing I would. explain every thing, so that the party who had made
If, however, there could be one circumstance attend- ueseetio?f hA.sNona•msoefashrofrouldm btheatdehtecis
ateedrv—anit2dtDiiivderheed
tdoecmlienciiiaseeoeilitilg
ing this transaction that was more aggravating than plitnents, and desired that I would call at his house in Downing-
the rest, it was his holding at the moment the office stress, and if he was not there, to grim the Mouse of Commons ?
of President of the Board of Controul, whose pecu- Q. You have not seen him ? A. No, I have not.
liar duty it was to check and crush every corruption Here then was a declaration of the Noble Lord of
which came within the scope of his high situation, in- his indignation ; but was this declaration genuine,
stead of which he had been proved, even from his sincere, and honest ? It must be recollected, that all
own mouth, to have abused the trust and confidence this took place suleeauent to breaking off the negotia-
placed in him, and to have violated them in the ! tion. Was it poteile the House could give the Noble
highest degree. It was said that the Noble Lord had I Lord credit for his feelings on this subject, so long
given in to the Committee, on oath, a list of his pa- . after the transaction had taken place ? Could any one
tronage, as President of the Board of Controul, and I believe he was actuated by any desire to reprobate
the particular itistances in which it had been used.— Ithe practice ? For his own part, he did not believe
He ( Lord A. Hamilton) was altogether at a loss to 'any such thing, but he believed his motive was to en-
discover by what law or usage the Noble Lord, as deavour to prevent its being exposed. He had troubled.
the President of the B6ard of Controul, could have 1 the House at more length than he intended, but the
any patronage at all. There was a clause in the Act importance of the subject made it necessary. He
which appointed and formed that Board, very nearly would not, however, trespass flirther than to move,
prohibiting that • and yet the Noble. Lord had not 44 That the Minutes of evidence be.read."
only disposed oepatronage, but he had done so in the The SPEA KER having stated to the House the
most reprehensible manner, in a way which called usual routine of its proceeding on motions of the pre-
loudly for a double degree of censure. If, however, the sent nature, from the time of Sir Robert Walpole
Noble Lord would contend that his patronage Was le- I down to this day,
gal, he was nevertheless subject, most unquestionably, Lord CASTLEREACH began by expressing his
to all the regulations, rules, and restrictions inciderit sincere regret that any act of his, or rather he should
to the Directors of the East India Company.-1 say in the present case, any.intentiou could be deem-
He (Lord A. Hamilton) would be sorry to state any led such as to call for Parliamentary Inquiry. He
thing on the present occasion that was not founded in ! particularly lamented that they should be called upon
truth and justice, but every man was liable to error to express their opinions upon the propriety or im-
and misinformation, and if he was incorrect, he hop- l propriety of his conduct, in any point of view in
ed some one better informed would do him the favour which the chatacter or authority of that House
to set him right. If, however, he was correct, the I might be considered interested, or in which he might
Noble Lord's conduct must appear in a still more be supposed to have overstepped the boundaries
heinous light. It could scarcely have escaped the of his official duty. If, in the course of the pre-
observation of the Noble Lord, and if it did, he sent investigation, any error of his . was made appa-
(Lord A. Hamilton) thought it must have occurred rent, he hoped the House would see that such au
to him iu the conversation with Lord Clancarty,that error was rather to be imputed to accident than de-
when he spoke of the person to whom that particular sign. He trusted, that whatever might be the se-
patronage was to be given, the Noble Lord told Lord verity with which such investigation might be carried
Clancarty, that the person to be so appointed must on, that no person would be able, at the conclusion
be such, in point of character, as the Court of Direc- 1 of it, to point out any corrupt motive, by which his
tors were entitled to expect to be placed in their eer- conduct had been actuated. Serious as the situation
vice, in consequence of any eomination they had in which he stood was, he could assure the House,
placed at his Lordship's disposal. How then the, that in the line of defence which he meant to adopt,
Noble Lord could permit that patronage to be dispo..l he would strictly abstain from lending his sanction to
sed of in the way the Noble Lord had shown himself . any principles, by which its authority might be ulti-
ready and willing to dispose of it, he (Lord A. Ha- ! mately affected. He, in the outset, returned thanks
milton) confessed he was at a loss to account for. In Ito the Noble Lord who had brought this question
page 7, of the Report of the Committee, it. appeared ! before the House, for having stated so fully his view
that the attentioal both of the Legislature and of the ' of the question, before he came to his final explana-
East India denpany had, at various periods, been at- ' tion. There was no degree to which the charge ceuld
tracted to abuses which were supposed to eiist in the ' be extended, which he did not wish to hear and meet
disposal of their patronage, in consequence of which, at' —and on this account he felt 4ratified at the full ex-
the time when their charter was renewed, an oath was planation which had been given of it. While he
framed to be taken by each Director, within ten days said thus anuch on the subject, and added also, that
afterhiselection,eonteining,amongetherengagements, he would be the very last to complain of any high
the following :eI do swear, that 1 will not, directly or colouring which might be given to the accusation,
indirectly,acceptor take any perquisite, emolument,fee, still he felt himself bound to say, thet many aggrava-
preseneor reward, upon any accountwhatsoever,or any : tions of it had been stated which he must utterly dis-
promise or engagement for any perquisite, &c. for or . claim. In the first place, he denied that any convic-
in respect of the appointment or nomination of any tion could take place, as proceeding from his own
person or persons to any place or office in the .gift or evidence, and that his evidence before the Committee
appointment of the said Company, or of me, as a ' went even in the very teeth of the declaration of others
Director thereof, &c." 33 Geo. 111. c. 52. sec. 160. !as quoted by the Noble Lord. He hoped the House
In the Bye Laws of the East India Company, ch. 6. would indulge him with a patient hearing, when at-
sec. 5, a penalty is imposed on every Director taking tempting to destroy many other aggravations, which
any reward on account of any appointment, in double in his mind, had been stated, before he came to the
the amount of such reward, two-thirdsiof which w i ease itself, white lay withia a, very narrow compass.