Star.
London, England, 1824-03-17 00:00:00

CRIMINAL CODE.

- Dr. LUSHINGTON did not intend, under present ciecum-
stances, to occupy the attention of the House but for a very short
time. Ile was not aware that k was intended to offer any opposi-
tion to the motion, he was about to make; his observations would,
therefore, be within a very small compass. He meant to propose
that a Committee should be appointed to inquire concerning the
best way of improving and amending the Criminal Code. The
House must be aware that the number of Statutes which had been
passed from,time to dine, were in a state of the greatest confusion.
He would not name the many inconveeiencies which had arisen in
consequence of this—he would assume that the House was con-
vinced of their existence. It was necessary for him to show how
fai he meant to go, and on what principles: his first proposition
would be, that the Conunittee should inquire into the state of the
I Criminal Code, and unite all the Statutes on the si.rne subject into
one head :—as, all laws relative to larceny, forgery, &c. Ile did
not intend, at present, to propose any alteration in the existing laws,
either as to punishment or offence: when the Statutes were brought
before the House in the shape of a Bill, the I louse would be better
able to judge of the defects in the Criminal Law, which were nu-
merous, apparent, and in many instances disgraceful to the Statute
Book. He would not, at any time, propose an alteration in a law,
unless it was clear to every individual in the house that it was re.
quisite. lie did not wish to trespass on the: rinse of the House, and
would therefore conclude by moving that a Committee be appointed
for consolidating and amending the Criminal Law.
Mr. J. SMITH, in seconding the motion, observed that such a
proceeding wbuld give the greatest satisfaction to the nation at
large..—The motion was carried, and a Committee appointed.
Mr. CALCRAFT said he would take the liberty of asking the
Right Honourable the Chanoellur of the Exchequer, whether he
intended to admit French leather lute this country, on payilig a
duty of 30 per cent.?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the
Hon. Gentleman must be aware that many articles of French ma-
nufactured leather were now admitted on paying a duty of 75 per
cent. and that it was his intention to extend this permissrou further.
On the motion of Mr. S. Welland., the House went into a Com.
mince on the Game Laws.—The Report was brought up, and or-
dered to be taken into consideration uo :.‘ltniday. neat.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER tins ..91 that t'•„
House should resolve itself into a Committee on thestibjeet of silk,
in order to rectify an 'error- which had been committed...4h.
House accordingly resolved itself into a Committee.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that
it had been proposed to allow on all Organzine a drawback,
which would be equal to the duties; because it Would I e a bard
thing if people who had a quantity of this silk were not e:.ahled to
sell it ; and it would be equally wrong to allow the shk.thEnwstet,
the dr-'awb ick on what bad been beffifebtdillglit tihtlertlftlliltatt.
his proposal now was, to give each patty that which he was co.
tided to.—The Report was ordered to be teetlved'tozntotrow.
The CHANCELLOR of Abe 'EXCH'EQUEIt Moved that the
Order of the Day for the House to go into a Committee on the Silk
Dill be read, for the purpose-of p6stponiniltsfurtber consideration
to Thursday next.—Agreed to.
The Annual Duties' Bill was then read a third time and passed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCLIEQUER give notice that
on Thursday next he should ractve for the Hotote to strintoa.Coos,
mime on the Irish Union Duties' fill, whets it vr,ls his hiteotion to
propose the remission of these duties.
The ATTOA.NF.Y-OF,NERAI, moved that the Bin for rem .
aeration to the Law Officers who bad been deprived of their feet
ir consequence of recent Aces of- Parliament, should belaid btfute
a Committee of the I-louse on Thursday next. .
Mr. 11U MR thought that the best way would be to tette': to a
Committee above stairs. He wished the Learned Cadman to
state his reasons why he made his present motion.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAI. observed, that the. grounds
could only be stated before a Committee. There was nothing new
in his proceeding; the same course was pursued in re 23, relative
to Irish Low Officers.

Mr. .A BF.RCRO)IBY objected to the principle el the motion.
Mr. IlUi‘lE suggested the propriety of postponing the question
for the present.
Mr. IiCSKISSON observed, 'that if the Honse went into a
Committee the grant might be still withheld.
The SPEAKER obsesved,‘ that the I-louse could-confider the
propriety of granting remuneration only, in arxhaunittee.
After a feav remarks from sir. Asestearrstsre and Mr. time,
and replies from the Azxottmer and StiliettoneGennstes., the rue.
ti9n was passed.

NEGRO SLAVERY.
Mr. Secretary CANNING appeited at the Bar With.
certain Papers similar tdthcse tt hich were laid on the
table of .the HGuse of Lords. Those Papers having
been brought up,
The Right Hon. SECRETARY rose, an.i caid that
he rose in discharge of a great duty. I. aa, his inten-
tion to take a short review of the meaiwes that had
!teen adopted, and the course which had heen pur-
sued in consonance with th-e Res• lution,, pas•cd by that
House last year.—Here the Clerk read the lteb.omons:
" That it is expedient to adopt the niest efficient and (*Maw Mea-
sures for ameliuratipg the condition of Staves in •-tur Colonies.

" That this House-and the Government, by a firm, demi-mist*
' and temperate enforcement of such measures, hope so to improve
the condition of the Slaves, as to prepare them for the enjoyment
of those civil rights and liberties which are enjoyed by others of
his Majesty's subjects. •
" 'That this House and the Government were anxious, at the
earliest peritxl, to enter into the subject with every view compa-
tible with the well-being of the Slaves, the safety of the Colonies,
and the-interests of all those Who arc concerned in the preservation
of their property."
'The Right Honourable Gentleman continued.—He
was desirous that the House should have present to its
mind the text and the Resolutions on which his Majes-
ty's Government had to proceed and- frame its conduct,
and not on any wide spread theory which had been em-
braced by others, whilst his Majesty's Government was
constrained to act on such a suggestion with the caution
that became so very delicate and important a subject.
It was undoubtedly a subject which more than any other
at the present moment inspired him as be approached it
with awe. To speak of its magnitude as compared with
any other subject of deliberation at present, would be to
give but a faint idea of its consequences and the diffi-
culties with which he end his Majesty's Ministers saw
it was surrounded—difficulties which he who attempted
to find a remedy for, would only find thicken around
him, until there was nothing left him but a choice of un-
mitigated evilcese( Hear ).,- Formidable as those diffi-
culties now were, they were less so than in the last year,
when his Majesty's Government had to combat with
conflicting iateeests ; to grapple w ith a them y which
would not permit anything to oppose or stand in its
way, or to resist a host of prejudices deeply rooted in
too many minds. Fortunately, however, what had already
been done,had narrowed the ground and made their way
somewhat plainer. He hoped that it would be understood
that what Parliament had done on that occasion ha,' ori-
ginated in a perfect conception of the evils with vt hi, the
Legislature had to combat, preserving, however, a due
regard-to those impediments which had derivee a sanc-
tion from time and usage, and more especially from
Acts' of the Legislature with respect to this description
of property. In deciding on interests of this nature, it
was not for the House to permit that property to be
swept away, in of der to make a •clear stage. He hoped
that no misrepresentations had gone abroad that it was
intended this object should be obtained by a sudden
emancipation of the Black enpUlation, or that a change,
which was evidently expected to be the result of pro-
gressive improvement, should be thrown' amongst the
slaves themselves to scramble for—(Hear.) As faithful
Ministers of the Crown, it behoved them to advise not
only that which was likely in theory, but that which
was practicable—not only that which was likely to do
good, but that which was least likely to do mischief—
(Cheers). These were all important considerations, de-
serving of being coupled with the difficulties apparent
to every man ip first approaching the question. It ap-
peared to be the general wish of the country riot to
adopt any principle of hostile policy to those whose lot
was-cast in those parts of his Majesty's dominions be-
yond sea, but that whilst we were carrying on this great
and benevolent object, we were not to drive the plough-
share over the properties and lives of his Majesty's free
subjects in those Colonies, Tilese were the principles
which had been fixed by the vete of this House, and by
those principles the Government had to abide,•and by
them therefore, the Government must be judged. if
enough had not been done to effect the desired ob-
ject, it was upen to any in that House to originate
measures which might be less cleseicerised by caution.
Amongst all the ptactical entlearassments which sur-
rounded this subject there.was one which was peculiar
—namely, that scarcely an exeression er phrase could
be made use of, that uers not likely to be seized on by
one interested' party or other, and wrested to their own
purp ate, ether for support or cause of offence. lie
would declare that for his own part he was perces:et
impartial as far as it might be supposed he could so,
who recollected with pleasine the humble support he
had given to the great question of the abolition of the
Slave Trade early in life. And he would say that re-
maining down to the present time in the same opinion,
he should be far from considering it a breach of faith
on his part had he now brought on this discussion, and
, he should be less disposed to impeach the conduct of
others under similar circumstances. With all these
. feelings, which had so liberally been avowed by many
in their speeches on the que,tion of the emancipatioa of
,the slaves in the Vest Indies, he saw reason for -Avir
• observing more caution when they came to ex re,s
• their sentiments on the question, which had been c risi-
dered pregnant with alarm. When he talked of a:arrn,
Goo forbid that Ire should be taken 3,sanctioniaz by

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