Star.
London, England, 1816-05-22 00:00:00

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PARLIAgEM'ART PROCELDIfiGS.

to be governed according to their own instituti..ais
and internal regulations. But he conceived that tne
Articles of the Convention were not observed by his
Majesty's Government, and therefore moved for a
Committee to inquire into the present p-litical condi-
tion, of tEf' lonian Islands, and to report tlnireon. ,
Mr. LESLIE FOSTER contended, that his M.
jesty's Government had treated the lonian Islands
with every fidelity and every care that had been
tiken of the rest of the empire. In the beginning of
the French Revolution, the doctrines of French equa.
lity and the rigbts of man had been introduced into
them, and were proancti-re of all the troubles and mi•,
.series generally consequent on snch principles. How-
ever, at length tired and worn out by their dissen-
sions and calamities, they voluuzarily put themselves
under the protection of this country. He then went
into a history of the public transactions that took
place with regard to these islands since the Pe.ice of
Amiens. He argne,l, that any farther indepen fence I
than they enjoyed was neither doe to them by. conH
rention, nor would be beneficial to. them. They were i
not equal to protect themselves against the Turkish
yoke, and he was sure they; were (idly sensible of the
advantage of English protection and were duly grate.
ful for it. They abhorred Turkey, they did not like
Russia, and they detested France. Their religious
prejudices, which were extreliely strong, together
with other considerations, made them much prefer
the protection of Great Britain. He allowed that a
civil Government was better for them than a mai-
-1 tarp one._

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 21.
The Royal Assent was notified, by Commission, to the Cns-
and Excise Duties, the two Irish Treasury Bills Bills, the
Bank Restriction Bill, • the An:ival Indemnity Hill, the Feats
Excise Indemnity Bill, the Loral Militia Ballot Suapenafon Bill,
the Yeomanry Corps Bill, the Tonnage Duties Bill, the Inn-
keepers' Rates Bill, several Local and Privste Birs. The Com-
missioners were the Loan CUANCELLOR, the Earl of Sursity
BURY, alid Earl BATHUKsT.
Witnesses *ere examined respecting Sir William Abdy's
Divorce Bill, which was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.
Witnesses were examined on Gmeral Dyott's Divorce Bill,
the further consideration of which was postponed till Tuesday
next. Mr. 'actuate, Counsel for Mrs Dyott, complained that
she could not obtain any money from the Trustee under the
Marriage Settlement, Who was in consequence ordered to *tie II
again to-morrow.
The County Rates Bill, several Local and Private Bills, were
brought up from the House of Comnions by Mr. CHArml,
Ittr.sw,rtax, Sir ?AMES GILAHAM, and other Members, and
read a firs time.
The Malt and Beer Duties Allowances passed through a
Committee. and was reported •eithout amendment.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day).
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The House went to the House of Lords to receive the Royal
Maroc to several Bills.
A Petition was presented from the Tanners of Dungarvon,
and was referred to the Committee.
Mr. LOCKHAR brought in a Bill to regulate Sales of Far-
mers' Stock, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read
a second time on Thursday.
The Irish Grand Jury Presentments' Report was received.
Returns were presented respecting Illicit Distillation in Ireland.
The Gaol Fees' Abolition Bill went through the Committee.
Report to•morrow
Lord G. BERESFORD reported the Answer to the Addresses
to th- Prince Regent for the Accounts of the numbers of Per-
ons confined tinder the Game Laws, &c. &c.
Mr. HOLFORII obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend
the Penitentiary Act.
EDUCATION IN Tlllt IttETItoPOLIS.
Mr. BROUGHAM moved for a Cominittee to in-
quire into the state of Education in the Metropolis.
This subject was of the greatest importance .o the
state of the lower orders in London, Westminster,
and Southwark. He should not dwell on details, as
he understood there would be no opposition to hie:
motion. Many respectable persons had endeavoured
to promote the public education, and by the yarn us
Societies instituted on the most benevolent ptinciplei
moth good had been done; but their inquiries had
casclosed scenes of ignorance, misery, and vice.--
An estimate had been formed of three District., one
horn St. Giles's, one from Covent.garden and the
Sttand, and another ( where the inhabitants were
rather of a superior sort) from the Strand towards
Northumberland-House. A particular examination
had been made, and in a district containing 9,000
houses, it was found that 3,380 children received
education, and 4,465 were, totally withont tLe tts•?:ins
of getting it. It was a remarkable circumstance,
that among the poorest people an of them chewed,
great anxiety to procure; eidite.ation for eicir chddr-17/1
In the schools in Si. Giles's there were only 116 efiii-1
dren. Looking at Southwark, Shadwell, and St. I
George's-fields ( which comprised 200,(00 persons)
there were no-less than 14,000 poor Irish Roman
Catholics, mostly engaged on the River. Among
these there were only 139 children educated,- though
the number of children were, altogether, between three
and 4,000. Taking the population of the Metropolis .1
and its immediate vicinity at 1,050,000, it appeared
that there were about 90,000 children uneducated.'
The benevolent voletwary contributions had been
greatly deficient in accomplishing their objects,though
individuals had exerted themselves to their utmost.
Mr. Joseph Fox advanced three thousand six hundred
pounds towards the Schools ; and there had been
many other liberal contributors, who could not be too
much praised, particularly as they had got the better
of all particular feelings respecting other Institutions.
I Their exertions had been great and laudable.--
IThe British and Foreign School Society had five
schools for boys and three for girls, and taught, and
were capable of teaching 3,000, hut at present had
only 1,850. The three national schools could in-
struct 3,000, but they had only about 2,000. The
fact appeared to be, chat there were from 85,000 to
90,000 children lett uneducated wholly. He thought
these circumstances furnished sufficient grounds for a
I Select Committee, to inquire into the case, and into'
! the management of endowed schools, to see that they
complied with the wills of the founders, add to con
hider how far it was fit to assist the modes of publiaj
education. It might be good to begin with the me-
tropolis, and see how the system prospered, and then
to extend it to other places. At Manch..ater, on an
examination of parish registers for six years, it :T..
peared that 9,756 persons were married who could
only make their mark. Schools for the education of,
schoolmasters might also be desirable. Reltgiri
differences occasioned some difficulties in the way of.
igeneral education. Great care should certainly be,
taken, on the one hand, not to offend the feelings of
religious individuals, and, on the other hand, not to
invade the just privileges of the -national church.
The Government in Ireland had adopted an equita-
ble principle on this subject. He then moved for a
Select Committee to inquire into the stated the edu-
cation of the lower orders of- the metropolis, which,
after a few words from Mr. WROTTISLETs General
THORNTON, and Alderman ATKINS, was agreed to,
and a Committee appointed, consisting of Mr.
BROUGHAM, Sir S. ROMILLY, MINNZT, Sir J.
MACKINTOSH, Sir F. BURDZT Ts Lord OSSULSTOth Sir
H. PARNELL, Mr. HORNER, Mr. HOLIORD. Sir T.
Actarth, and several others.
lONIAN ISLAND%
Sir C. MONCK rose-to make the motion of which
he had giveq notice concerning the lonian Islands.
He had spent some time in the lonian Islands, and
had found the people a very interesting race, and
very well worthy of the protection and liberality of,
such a great and free country as this. He then
went into a history of the conduct of France and
Russia towards them since the revolution; and,
argued, that by the Conillotipn by which they ea=
under the pplectieo of skis pOotey, the pfe were,

Sir CHARLES MONCK replied. He thought,
that to possess the hearts of the people was much bet-
ter than to keep the islands by a militatry force. If it
had not been for our exertions we never should have
recovered their independence for these people. The
Joniva Gaztite, which h. been published under the
cognizance of Covernmeh had made known to them
the change in their State, lott load not informed them
of half their dependence or of half their slavery.
They had complained to the British Government ;
t.!:ey had received nothinx but disappointment from
the alteration :n their condition.

The quebtion was then put, and negatived without
a division.

TRIXITY TICLISE.

Mr. BIRCH rose to call the attention of Ow lionse
to stveral transactions relative to the Trinity blouse.
:slue: extravagance had bean committed respkting
!bell iip,htlious,:s. Application had been made, he be-
;ieved, to several prisons at Liv:!rpool for the me.
tion Ol.:1 light at the Isle of Man; in that rransactinn
there had been much extravannce. They had 91
lights in their own hands, for which they' charged in
some instances one half penny and in others three 16,1i-
perace per ton from vessels passing by. It was pLzin
they had an enormous revenue ; for •they charged.
much more than the General Northern Light Com-
missior:ri,.whose common charge was three farthings. ,
'They had very considerable revenue from foreign
pdotage, and what was called surplus pilotage,
for which they had received for the Last five years
£36,000. It the revenues of this Company were
unnecessarily large, it might be prokr, he thought,
at present to diminish them as much as possible.
He should not trespass upon the Haase with any
large examination into the charters of this Com-
pany. Lord Chancellor Northington, however, had
I said, that it was necessary the Company should
I have supervisors who ought not to be interested
in the accumulation of the Corporation's revenue.—
i [The Hon. Member then read a charter of James 11.
which supported his ;arguments.] Much of the
• money, he believed, that belonged to the Company
hadbeen expended for strew and parade, which stiould
have been laid out tor other purposes. It there had
not been extravagant expenditure, it required to be
explained what had been done with the money. The
accounts ought to have been laid before the House,
but had not been laid regularly. The balances in
' the hands of the Conapany ought to be put oat to
interest. Even for the five last years it would have
amounted to £3,500, but it had not been put out to
interest. Other means had been found to expend it,
and he really did think that this Corporation called'
for the jealous interference of that House towards
1 Ministers. The expenses of their light-houses were
1
greater than they ought to be, and when men had
more money than they knew what to do with, it was
; nnt to be wondered at that they ran into extraya-
' gance. He had no personal hostility whatever
towards the Company, though he wished always to
prevent extravagance wherever it appeared ; aad he
really hoped that the House would not rnfuselos mo-
tion, as it, was of so much importance to the country.
The Hon. Member concluded by moving, 64 That a
,t
.Select Committee be al) i
pc.arted to examine into the
revenue of the Trinity House, and to report their opi,
aions thereon to the House."
' , Mr. ROSE did not think that any thing had been
stated by the.Heneurable Member deserving-the at-
tention of the House. He had said that application
had been made to Liverpool to erect a lighthouse
near the Isle of Man. This was incorrect. A light-
house bad been erected on the Calf of Mall, but none
of the extravagance had been committed that he had
stated as having taken place, though the Commis.
sioners of the Northern Lights had offered to build
the light at 4 smaller expense. The Company had
£60,000 revenue, net revenue be meant, when all
'the light-house expenses were paid--(Hear, hear.).—
,In the Act of Parliament, the Corporation had said
that they would lay their accounts yearly before the
'House respecting pilotage. This had been done re-
gularly. The Lord Chancellor Norihington did not
understand the management of the lights, for all the
tights belonging to the Trinity House were managed
,with the greatest propriety and with as little extrava•
, gance as possible. With all the examination possible,
he did not thiVik that any extravagance could be found
in airy of the buildings-or expenses of the Corpora-
„ don. It was the business of some of the men who
belonged to the Compapy, to see that the buoys, the
littut-linarksp and the lighthouses were kept in order.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 22. 1316. . Pit WV, SIIIVEN I' s % .1.

All this was done upon salaries of from £5O le
£250 per annum. and he really could not see how
any diminution caul I be made in those salaries.—
With respect to the balances, he could inform. the
Honnurahle Member that much of thm had beeit
employed in building alms.honse's Fnr coperannitated
pilots, and for maintaining titem there. Much had been •
expended in providing for the widows an i children
of men in the employment -1 tin C. rporation. The
lights of the Company had beer all changed from
coal lights to Argand's lamps ; and would the Hon.
Gentleman have a bright gold light changed into a
' bad dull light ? If he wniiid nor, he could not find
any fault v.ith the expenses relative to lights. When,
then, it was recollected that the Corporation built
large alms-houes, lights, maintained so many widows
And so many children, and so many of the super:tn.
mated, he wondered who could ohject to their ex-
penchture, especially when it was remembered that
they had not a shilling of overphis. The whole of
the salaries paid for the hazardous duties he had men-
timed amounted to 'little more than AMP° per an-
num, On the whole, he should feel it his duty to
oppose the motion of the Hon. Member.
After several remarks from Mr. &vinyl, Mr. W.
3stmr, and Mr. CURWEN, Mr. Birch withdrew his
motion.

ENGLISH CATHOLICS.
Mr. w. tr..Liorr rose, with the Petition of the
English Catholics in his hands, and spoke to the fol-
lowing effect ; 66 Mr. Speaker, Attiring)) it is not my
intention to make any other motion than merely that
this Petition should lie on the table, yet as the subject
of it is immediately connected with the motion which
is about to be made by my Right Hon. Friend near
me (Mr. Grattan), and as the interests of the Peti-
tioners are, as I think, comprehended in my Right
Hon. Friend's intended proposition, I shall not fee) ,
that I faithfully discharge the trust reposed in me by
the s unless I beg leave once more to call
the attention o! the House re their circtimstanr, led
situation. l'he petition, Sir, which lam about to
nave the honour of pr. sentiag, is from that numeroos
and most re,.F.cc;able class nt his Majesty's- subjects,
the Roman Ca thelic; of Great Britain; among whom
are to be found the names of sortie of the most an•
cient leaded proprietors in this island—the names of
sorn” i.f the most illustrious of cur families--of
signalized by their memorable achievements in
the ni-st splendid periods of our military histnry, as
as thou: ltha have been distinguisrled by their
spirited and persevering asserti:.n of the rights and
liberties of their countrymen—the names of persons
residing Gil the estates which have devolved to theirs
through a linig succession of virtuous progenitors,
and who dispeose,around them that beneficence which
becomes the descendants of such ancestors=the
mows also of many of your mnst valuable tnanufac-
'tiro s, who have3argely contributed by their skill
and industry to the wealth aed prosperity, esvi by
contributing to the wealth and prosperity, hirer con-
tributed to the power and resources of the state. That
this is a true description of the character and con-
dition of the Petitioners, the s;gnatures to the Peti-
tion . sufficiently testify. For proof of the uniform
loyalty of their demeanour, and of Ore patience
which they have exhibited wider the rtressure of the
most gelling grievances, I appeal to the observation
of every one who listens to me—( Hear, hear.)--
There is no class of the community which has evinced
a stronger attachment to the monarchy, and to the
hereditary succession—no class which has evinced ti
stronger attachment to the laws and constitution of
the valnt. This attachment, Site has been mania
tested .in the hour of peril--in the hotr when our
very coasts were menaced with :Mack. If a foreigner
were to come to this country. arepainted with the el.
torts made by us during the last twenty years, but
imperfectly versed in our code of legislation, the first
reflection that must occur to him would be, that if
any religious distitietioes were okserved at all, the
petitioners must be the objects of preference and far
Your; and great would be his astonishment to disco-
ver that, nit the contrary, they were subjected to se.
vere restrictions and multiplied diaabilities—(Hear).
Nor can it be a pleasing reflection to the Petitioners
that the pricciple of restraint has-not reinaieed un-
modified, as it affected the Catholics of other parts •
of the empire. When Corsica formed a portion of
his .Majesty's dominions, the prolesi:ion of the Cathor
lic religion was no obstacle in that island to the
en-
• joyment of equal rights and priviiic.f:;:s. la the only
C itholic colony which we now possess, Canada, the
i:rol.,.ssion of the Catholic religion imposes no restrict-
, tiya oil the professor. Even in that country, to the
Petition from which, my Right Honourable Friend
thieivening elaint 'tor attention, has been
dotortii the Catholic population—so motel), that al-
, though what remains to do is important for the Ca-
tholic to receive, it is not important for you to with.
I hold ( near, hear).—For instance, you have given
. to the Catholic of Inlaid the elective treachise. By
the English Catholic it is trot enp.yed. A Catholic
in Ireland may graduate in the University of that
. eternity. A Catholic in England may not graduate
in the English Universities A Catholic in Ireland
may become a Justice of Peace. Font that oifice an
. English Catholic is interdicted. And why is this ?
Why, I ask, are such men as Sir Harry Englefield,
or Sir George Jerningha.m, or Sir John Throcknior-
ton, or others of the numerous body of respectieble
English Catholics—men indisputably attached to the
i King and Constitution-sto be debarted from fiiling
situations of trust and honour; and why is the coup-
. try to be debarred from enjoying the benefit of their
; exertions ? Why is a Duke of Norfolk, or an Earl of
Shrewsbury, or an Earl of Surrey, or a Lord Clifford,
or a Lord Arundel, or a Lord Petre to be disqualified
. for holding the office, not of a Justice of Peace merely,
but et a Lord Lieutenant of a Comity ? ( Hear, hear)
I —Sir, the laws by which such men are excluded from
serving their country are a disgrace to Our &mute
800 k... Again, Sir, as in Ireland, there are many
civa•offices open to the Catholics of that part of the
empire, from which in England the English Catholic