Star.
London, England, 1819-12-08 00:00:00

ioltick up a riot some y..
'Several Members then rose to ad.iress the House,
when the SPEAKER interposed, and said he wished
to submit to the House the irregularity of the pro-
ceeding in which they were engaged, and to impress
upon them the great danger which the permission of
'inch an irregularity would involve. Perhaps it was
his duty to stop the Honourable Member (Mr. Wod-
ehouse) in the outset of his statement, but not being
aware of ire real extent of the subject, until a pe-
riod whew it was improper to stop him, he was
oblige.] to suffer him to proceed.' Having done so,
he (the speaker), felt it would be an act of great in-
, justice towards the Honourable' Member, to whom
the original statement alluded, if he had been
de-
prived of the opportunity of explanation.- But-after
this, the House, he trusted, would feel that this very
irregular proceeding had gone far enough—nay,
much &filler alto was permitted by even the greatest
laxity 'of practice he had ever remembered in that
House. It was surely unnecessary for him to impress
on the House that a strict adherence to the rules and
forms of Parliament was absolutely essential to the
discharge of their duties, and to the preservatiun of
their dignity.—( This address seas followed by general.
eipressions of approbation).
PENRYg ELZCTION.
Sir CHARLES BURRELL moved for leave to
bring in a Bill to remedy corrupt practices in the
Borough of Penryn.
Sir CHRISTOPHER HAWKINS shortly opposed

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the motion.
Mr. DENISON, 4sciverting t 6 what had been pre-
viously urged on the subject before the House, ob-
served, that the nature of the case was shortly this:
the con uption of the Borough of Pernyn, and the £24
3 vote, were so notorious, that a Bill for remedying
Bribery there, was passed by a great majority of that
House, and would have been enacted into a law. bu.
for the expiration of the Session. The present ap-
plication being for a,similar Bill, there_ could be no
reason for an objection to it. He should now say,
that if the right of suffrage had been transferred
from the Boroughs of Penryn, Grampound, and
Barnstaple, to Leeds, the whole of the discontents
which existed in the country would have been pre-
vented. But instead of introducing some
tory and wise measure—instead of holding forth
the olive branch to the People, Ministers were only'
engaged in sharpening the sword of the law. •He
had always doubted the policy of a system of coer-
cion adopted towards a People.. Government could
never lose by conciliation. The dispositions of a
People became only irritated by harshness, and he
thought a better and sounder advice could not be
given to Gover "ors. with respect to the treatment of
subjects, than was contained in the paisage of the Poet:
" De to their faults a little blind,
Be to their virtues ever kind,
Let Al their wayi be unconfinl,
Nor dap your padlock on their mind!"
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill.

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during its existence, that Parlist-7
submitted to k. And why
insult the feelings of that oat'
having injured Ireland more
country ever was injured, and after
were in a state of the ut-
thought fit to insult the,
measure ; and now no body of
any part of Ireland to Pe•
without receiving permit
-
and he wished to know
such a severity in apart
was no disturbance?—
manufactures or trade in Ifeland, see
was there any part of the world where the peasantry
lived in a more deplorable state of misetz.:3rlt was,
therefore, outrageous to hen the Noble
s
of the prosperity Of a country where such wretched
ness prevailed, and to find that he offered such an'
injury to Ireland, as this Bill must produce. The
Noble Lord was proceeding now in England with-
the same horrible career which he had carried on
many years ago in Ireland ; and the effect would be,
to drive the People of England to madness, as he had
driven the, People of Ireland to rebellion. In 'that
country the sanctity of private dwellings had been
repeatedly violated in the dead of night, by persons
acting under the authority of Government, whb
broke into them, and insulted respectable females;
under pretence of searching for 'arms ; and similar
practices were now to be set on foOt in England.
He should, therefore move to have Ireland exempted
from the operations of the present Bill.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that the Committee
would be the proper place to discuss the propriety of ,
such an Amendment as that proposed by. the Hos.
Gentleman.

The House then resolved itself into a Committee,
Mr. BROODEN in the Chair.
Sir C. MONK wished to make an alteration in the
part of the Bill which went to, fix the mode of calling
County Meetings; If Lords Lieutenants were to
have the power of calling Meetings,the sore power
should be given to the erstodes &Worm. He
thought, however, that it would be better to leave the
business entirely to the Sheriffs of Counties, and
leave out Lords Lieutenants altogether, because they
were Military Officers.
Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that Grand
Juries had the power of calling Meetings, and he
saw no reason for restricting the powers in the 'man-
ner proposed by the Hon. Baronet.
Mr. G. LAIgBE wished the enactment to be such,
that if one Officer refused to call a Meeting, there
should be another ready to call one; and he wished
the People might have the power of applying to
those who would call Meetings. He therefore moved
to leave out Lords Lieutenants and Custodes Rotu-
lorum. The motion was negatived.. '
Mr. BROUGHAM calkd the attention of the
Committee to the clause re-pecting- the mode of call-
ing Meetings in town's corporate; he said, the Legis-
latorial Attorneys—(A laugh)—who drew out' this
Bill did not- seem to know what they were about in
this enactment. There were many great cities which
in law were only villages and hamlets, which were
wholly excluded from this Bill. The towns of Man-
chester and Birmingham werrexcluded ; the Borough
of Southwark was also excluded, as well as many
great manufacturing towns. Why should the privi-
lege be given to. York and Exeter, and not to 'great
+manufacturing towns more populous and opulent ?
Mr. Alderthan WAITHMANs considered this
clause as altogether nugatory, if it were not impe-
rative on the Officers of Corporations to call Meet-
ings when required to do so. In the City of London
it was sometimes impossible to obtain Meetings, and
because certain individuals there had. lately tried to
obtain such Meeting, a criminal prosecution vras now
going on against them for that act. In short, the
parishes were the only places where Meetings could
bo held; and before those Meetings could take place,
such delays might be thrown in the way, that the
whole Constitution pf England might be abolished
by the Parliament, be&re the People of the Country
could have time to petition against such a calamity.
Therefore, the whole of this provision was completely
useless, unless it Ikits imperative on Magistrates of
Corporations to call Meetings when required to do so.
Lord COMPTON said, that in order to obviate
the inconvenience complained of, he should propose
an Amendment, that it should be• in the pqwer of
twenty. or thirty freeholders possessing £lOO a year
each, to call Meetings in Counties an 4 Corporations
in case the Magistrates refused to do so.
The CHAIRMAN observed, that the Committee
had not vet come to that part of the BilL
Mr. MAXWELL proposed an Amendment re-
specting Scotland, giving power to ten freeholders,
qualified to be Commissioners of Supply, .to Gall
Meetings in Scotland, in case the Sheriffs there re.
toted .to call them.
Lord CASTLEREAGH-refused to agree to this
or the preceding clause, as the Sheriffs were the best
judges whether it might be proper, or might not be
dangerous, under certain circumstances, to call Meet.
ings ; were the clauses to be adopted, all the security
required by this Bill might be obviated. At great
County Meetings the Magistrates were the' only
persons who ought to preside; the only safe principle
to go on was, that the Magistrates, who were the
conservators of the public peace, and answerable for
the preservation of it, were the only proper persons
to call, as well as to preside at Meetings. If this
was not the case, it would be very easy to Grid any
ten or twenty freeholders in any county, who would
be ready to act in opposition to the intentions of. Go-
vernment, and convene the- most tumultuary Meet-
ings. A proposition, therefore, such as was madeby
his Noble Friend and by the Honourable Gentleman
opposite, would render this part of the Bill com-
pletely nugatory, find, therefore, he should oppose it.
Mr. J. P.' GRANT.said, that the opposition given
by the Noble Lord to both the Arrtendments, shrived
to what an excess he was prepared to carry the prin-
ciple which urged him to' prairie this ragtime.
Conld it be supposed, . that there were in Yorkshire
twenty freeholders of the qtalification stated, who,
could be inclined to call a Meeting, i£ they thought
it would be attended with so much danger as the
Noble Lord intimated. The arvanetit was still
stronger with
land. Their
valuation ;

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they sot all lawyers anneinted to the obis iby &sdle/WM was Mr. Calcraft,
.Crown? 'and wee notlis-appointinest generally con- (Hear, hear).
sidereal
as a
lop t •
the Bluth x_(Near, heir). He Lord STRATHAVEN
begged leave to call the attention of the House to did serve the office—(Hew.
the state of these cities in Scotland governed hy large; rid Nisches).
corporations.
Thee was not etwaty_there in wbildt 1 Sir R. HERON admi
the heads of these corporations bad any cottillinien :serve the office, but it
Iwith the People. They elected each other, and there- t proposition to which he
fore were not to be idety entrustod with apower like Mr. B. BATHURST
this--(Hear, hear). - tlemen named on the list
Lord NORMANBY said, that till be came down fused to serve the office
to the Housothat night, and beard the objections of pelmets) appoint another,
the Noble Lord (C h) to the Amendment ;Lord MILTON adu iued
proposed by another Noble Lord (Compton), he had ficient excuse was made.
not half the objections to this Bill...which he no* had the sufficiency of the excuse
—_earl}—fle thougho the proiosition cootained in MT. MARTIN (of Galw-
the Amendment was such as ought co be inc?rpo- don of the Committee ,
rated in the Bill, and he should therefore vote in fa- before them. He couceis
your of it. ' - Amendment was in direct
The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND ad- principle of the Bill ; and
mimed that the Sheriffs in Scotland were appointed , carried, he should lose no
by the Crown, bat be believed he would not be con,' House to return to Ireland-4.
tradicted in the assertion, that there was no instance admit, that there might '
of a Sheriff in Scotland having sacrificed the duties Yorkshire possessed of "
of leis office to the influence of the Crown. Besides, not Radical Reformers.
it should be remembered. that if the Sheriff refused, for all he knew, who had .. -.tiring tolo
the Convener was still to be Awned to. ' • lowing the doctrines of the Radicals; but aril •
Mr. MANSFIELD thought that, if the-Amend- fore follow that such freeholders were of
.. ent of the Noble Lord was carried, they might importance to be entrusted with the peace
give up the Bill at once. What ryason was there for country?—(Hear, hear, hear). He would
supposing that all the virtue of a county was confined the House, whether, if the real object of Pub
to persons of £lOO a-yeas ? . ints was to give an opportunity of discussing
inc CHAIRMAN begged leave "
to remind the, gnevances, -that object would not be beet,
Committee, that the Noble Lord's Amendment was by confining the deliberations to sections or
not the question before them; the clause in the than by permitting them to extend to large
Bill to which the Amendmerit affecting Sotiiiand re- 'blies, where no individual could be heard
(erred, preceded that part of it which the Noble whole Meeting, even if he had a Stentorian ‘''c
Lord's Amendment contemplated. Both Amend- (Hear, hear). Meetings, in fact,lad taken I'',,
mints could not be,hefore ate Committee at once.— which he knew not how all the individuals
(Hear, Afar!) . ' • Could communicate with each other, (inlets b
Lord ALTIJORPE said, that the qualification graphic signals, or by the sound of canna-i
by his Noble Friend, was the same as that and laughter). If the Amendment was ago
proposed
of the Peace, and as he could perceive no' he would 'take his leave instantly, and -
danger AO arise from it, be would support the Ireland- (Laughter).
Amendment. Sir CHARLES MONCK suggested, that itt
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL • contended, that be a preferable mode, if his Noble Friend 1
although the qualification of a Justice of Peace was Compton) should propose that the sigma
£lOO a-year, still, as that qualification did not enti- twenty freeholders of r 100 a year should be
tie ant person to hold a Commission of the' Peace, dered competent to make a Requisition fs aC
there was a manifest distinction to be taken between Meeting, instead of being competent to ct.ll:be
l'Justices and persons having such a qualification— in (Hear, hear).
(Hear I)—He apprehended that the practice of call- Mr. LiROGDEN (the Chairman) was do
ing Meetings by Freeholders against the opinion of 'that great inconvenience awe from blendingli
the Sheriffs of the County, was of modern growth ; propositions together in this discussion--(Crusi
and though ho.worild nut venture to say that Meet- Lord COMPTON suggested, that if :um'
ings sos assembled were illegal—(Hear, hear!)—still holders did nut afford a sufficient security, tir
they were nut recognized by any positive enactments.' her might be increased, sayto thirty, in thoteu
With regard to the Amendment before the Commit- which were supposed to be in a disturbed stan
tee, he thought that it struck directly against the as York ana Lancaster.
principle of)the Bill, which, as it now stood, pfo• Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that if he
vided.some constituted authoriry to be answerable stood the Noble Lord, be had now three di tin
for theopeaceable demeanour of the people.—(Hear!) positions before the Committee—(Hear, heir,
NW.
Mr. KENNEDY.observed, that the Amendment ing that the first was not tenable, the
proposed, with regard to Scotland, was of obvious had told them to throw the Bill over the ta,
necessity, as there was no Custos Rotulorum them; thus tend his (Lord Castlereagh's) Hon. urable
The Commissioners in Scotland were possessed of iloMr.Martin) off to Ireland I—(A laugh). Thi
the same qualification as the Commoner of a county; rd had said, that it should be compulsory
an it was absurd, that a sanction should be given. Sheriff to call a' Meeting ; that because the
to one individual, which wasjefused to ten who.had were not pleased to meet iu parishes, and bet:
..an equal interest in the peace and welfare Of the Persons could be found iii the county oho wi
country.—(ffeer, hear!) . . - call a Meeting, the Magistrates sh6uld charg
Lord BINNING opposed both the Amendments. selves with the public peace The Noble Lor
As to the Amendment of the Noble Lord, he could not ever, seeing that this proposition was no more
agree in the truth of his proposition, that the public able than the other, came at last to his um
peace would be secure in any Meeting called by and proposed to take away the principle oti
.twenty freeholders. On the contrary, he apprehended mad therefore he (Lord Castlereagh) consid
that a Meeting so ambled might be attended with lastposition the most untenable of all. Ili
nion, that unless the • Noble Lord wished
consequences as
..cleiricnental to the public peace as • oder the Bill entirely nugatory, he must with;
'any of these assemblies which were recently too foe-
quent in the country.. To give such a power of call the three prositions'
Ong the People together •as that now demanded, Sir C. MONCK was surprised that the Nol
would be manifestly incompatible with the principle (Castlereagh) considered it a new proposition
of the Bill, which secured the public peace in Inc Leriii bra Magistrate ought to comply wit
case by the instrumentality
thrmigh which it w question to call a Meeting. Whenevd as
ika was intrusted with authority, -any person su
called, and in the other by the nunibers to whiclfot
that authority might call on him to exerci!
was limited. He denied it to be universally true, the protection of his rights; and if, under,
'that those who were appointed Sheriffs In Scotlind, cumstances, a Magistrate refused the prole
Were to be considered as in their way to further p
quired, the Court of King's Bench might
motion. In fact, there were as many Magistrates Mandamus to compel him. •
there attached to opposition • politics as to those of
the Ministry. He trusted, therefore, that all those Lord CASTLEREAGH said, he had thou
100 valued the liberties of the People, vejlich were
was no great inconveniedce in discussing the
ircold_ propositions together, because the principle
1 best protected by this Bill as it now stood, cold
slit the Amewdment of the Noble Lord. ' was the same; but now the Committee wo
ling into a.
Lord EBRINGTON expressed his belief, milt the wide
field.
Mr. J. P. GRANT observed, that that,w
power which the Noble Lord's Amendment sought to the manner in which the Bill was drawn
to commis to twenty freeholders of £lOO a-year Sir CHARLES MONCK wished to knov
eech, might be very safely entrusted to them, for he
state the Noble Lord's Amendment, and
Tilt assured that there was not a class of people in of
House was to vote? Be wished to know w 1
she country more sincerely attached to the Consti tn- be Sheriff should compellable to call a Cour
teen than those included under this description..
Heing on the Requisition of twenty freeholder!
would give his cordial support to the Amendment.
a -
objection ? He had no to raise the qua
Lord CASTLEREAGH begged the Committee to £2OO, or even ZOO, but be was anxious
to recollect, that, as he had observed last night in the twins of the Amendment precisely?
the House; the enactments of this Bill did not extend Lord FOLKSTONE wished the House t
to Meetings held. within doors. The Bill was di- stand the proposition of his Honourable F
rested only' against those assemblies, whieb; by hind him (Mr. Kennedy) which he was sun
!wing held in the open .air, were rendered by their generally understood, as the situation of t
wmbers and their military array, formidable to the missioner of' Supply in Scotland was co
loyaland peaceablydisposed inhatlitayits of the coon- with that of freeholder. in England. He be
by.--(Hear, hear!) . Committee to remark, that County Meetir
Mr. BOSWELL suggested, that by omitting that be convened in England by Officers who
.part of the 25th clause which preceded the words exist in Scotland, or who coula not by this
* within that part of the United Kingdom tailed cite the power of calling Meetings. In
Scotland," the power of calling a Meeting should be these were Lord Lieutenants as well as in 1
roegrved to the same Magistrates in Scotland as in but in Englarid they could call Meetings,
11• . Scotland they could not by the present 111.1neilR. HERON wished that some effectual alter- England them was a Custes Rotulornm, v
,native should be at band in cases where the Sheriffs call- Monty Meetiogr ; in Scotland there
labould refuse to call Meetings. Quorally speaking, such Officer. In England the Sheriff athe Sheriff's Of England were appbalted by the Crown. County Meetings, and the same power w!
'A list of three individnalswas promated, from which with the Sheriffs in Scotland ; but in that p
die Crown appoineedoni to be Sbesiff of the County. kingdom, loOking to the Crown-tor pr
Ititioncolleceed dist cases did Omer where Gen- Sheriffs could not be expected to be very ti
. were appciotedeprifs whew names were not Meetings called to complain of grievances.
lipOn the list so peaseited ' • and in one County he sand five Justices of the Peace could call ll
Ipilaw that an individual served the office, who was In Scotland, if he rightly understood -the I
Sired for, the purpose...if-ken hoer). It reflected ,bald not. In Scotland there wax an Off
if credit upon an Hoo. Friend of his, that. when could call County Meetings unknown in Et
the office was offered to him, to.; - such terms, be re. be maintain Convener of the Commissioner
' ' Bit B. ply.; and this Officer was said to have the
property of *ever refusing to assemble the
upon a Requisition properly signed. TI
Lot/ wOad there were such Officers id
Souse 4&nities, hoverer,. might be throw
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I Trish Farlisment, during its
1 isf the Paso. He should add, that- he Weer there meat would not have subm
were persons put in the Commission for the County did he now attempt to insult
, .
- of N 'rfolk, who were wholly unworthy of it, merely raged people? After havit
for party purposes. The Honourable Member then than any other country ever
- is , s went on to notice the refusal of Wle w
inisters to the appli- declaring that the People
cation f..r an inquiry into the MancheAer business. most tranquillity, he now t
In his conscience he believed that Government was People by.this new measure
4';
~.t 1 1 411' ; implicated in that business. He could not help be- Catholics could meet in an:
•.i, , / 1 having it—he wassorry for it—but in no other way tition agsinst grievances, w
I. y mold he Account for their hostility to all inquiry. When . goo from a Magistrate:
'. " ' l' their Attempt to take Harrison at. Smithfreld had , what necessity was there for
• tailed in producing resistance, they of course wished ; of the Empirre where there
_ . io.kick up a riot some way or another. 1 1 There were no manufactures
_ __ _s_ ..... ~s .u. lan

srd intimated. The argument was ' din pi Nice was offered to hisu, slot such terms, he re.. he meant Abe Convene'
vith regard to the Constmegossess in grog. fused it—(4 Armour fry ef *dim). 131 i• B. ply.; and this Officer
keir cii!sdilleadoo, he believed. was £lOO Heiou said, that be could, not think of holding up an property of never refu
; and it should also_ be remembered, that ladividuel to public by naming Ilse roMtle- wpou a Requisition
ao.Orsad Jury hseml. man who was hireaft.p office; lulls would LOrit *Abed there lr
rho were the Sheriffs la Iketland lb 'Were sane tjta Cleatlamaiirlp had refusid it. The Oinv Soule tl,fteltieer tiow
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of the Canty of
Isl stated, that Mr.
fear, hear, from the
tined that, Mr. Cal
was several year, .
alluded was made
' said, that if the t'd
P'esent....i to the Cr
of Sheriff, the Crown
1.
itted this to be true
But who was ,
to
:cure ?
iway) rose to reca)
to the. queqion im
'eived that the Nob],
irect opposition to t:4
and if that Amend
no time in a,king lez
and—(44 laugh). Re
ht be twenty freehc
£lOO a year each, AI
Thera might eve,:
had something to lox