Star.
London, England, 1816-03-13 00:00:00

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p •iperism, pauperism poaching, and poaching put
arms into the hands I.f dangerous characters.
Mr. GRENFELL insisted that Ministers t.ught to
obit& n the Property Tax, and dsaw 5ti12,000,000
iiri'Lat they had in the Bulk.
Mr. JONES said, the us was most dangerous and
unconstitutional.
Mr. SWAN objected to taking the money from
the Bank.
Mr. P. MOORE defended the taking of the money
from the BA9k of England. Heconsidered the whole
system of Finance at present pursued as most im-
proper. The wl.ole of the Finances ought to be un•
der the controul of one Treasury, instead of which
there were as many Treasuries as Departments. He
hyped that now, when a system of economy was ne-
cessary, great vigilance would be observed towards
the Bank of England.
Mr. H. SUMNER defended the conduct of the
Bmik, and considered it improper to meddle with
their funds without great care and consideration.
The Petition was brought up and laid upon the

Table
Mr. THOMPSON hoped the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and Government in general, would take
into their consideration the Whale Fishery, which he
thought an important branch of commerce.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, that every consideration- should be given to
that branch of trade.
Mr. GRENFELL postponed his motion respect-
ing transactions between Government and the Bank
till to•morrow. He wished to know whether the
Chancellor of the Exchequer would bring the Bank
Loan Bill before the House to-morrow ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
did not think it proper to postpone the discussion on
that subject farther, as it had been already fretrartly
d•l yed.
Lor.l EBRINGTON moved for ig The number of
Returns of Property, made by persons in London
and Westminster, from 1810 to 1815," which, after
some conversation, was agreed to.

Petitions were presented against the Property Tax
from Duffich!, in Derbyshire, from the County 01
Forfar, in Scotland, and tour others from distr►cts
in tire said county.—Laid on the Table.

SAFER CIIsToDIF OF BoNAPARTF.

Lord CASTLEREAGH rose to call the atten-
tion of the House to a most important subject. He
alluded to the regulations respecting the custody of
Bonaparte in St. Helena, for the carrying into effect
of which be now rose, pursuant to notice, to move
for leave to bring in a Bill. Considerable doubt had
arisen upon this subject, and it was thought neces.
sary to call upon Parliamet t to make a law that
night sanction what had been already done, and what
his Majesty's Ministers might think it advisable to do
for the future safe custody of that person. ,It had
been asked in what light he would be considered? but
he thought that in whatever light he might be viewed
the necessity there was fur keeping hint in s ife cus-
tody for the preservation of the peace of Europe
would stand unquestioned. It might be said that he
was a prisoner of war, and that though the treaties
of peace had provided fur the restoration of ordinary
prisoner& taken by each country, yet that so tar from
li;s keing iocludtd in those Treaties, he was particu-
larly exclatled, and that an especial exception hid '
b• en made to him by the Government of "Knee.—
Or, in another view, he might be considered as an
as!an had brolon a direct treaty with Great
Britain, as a Prince with whom we had been at war,
and with %thorn we did not make peace in conse-
quence of particular circumstances of aggravatiile—
He had no doubt but the House would feel itself al-
together incapable of opposing his motion, when they
considered of what great necessity it was, and of its
gt:at importance to the general security. It was,
was confident, a transacti,n equAly agreeable a d
consonant with the general laws of nations, as sv..h
the particular necessity ; and upon the broad prince.
pie of tl•at necessity, ire did not think that Parliament
caul i I,e4itate fur a moment in concurring with Go-
vernment. At the same time that he was a character
recognised by the law as a prisor.zr of ear, it was
necessary that those whose snore immediate cus-
tody he remained, should know that he was to
be treated with every indulgence consistent with
his t,,; tuition, and with his secure detention—(Hear.)
Every thing should be done that cnnld tend to pre-
serve the line of policy which his Majesty's Ministers
had pnrsus.! for promoting th interests of the coun-
try, and for securing universa' tranquillity; and as
this was an essential consequence of that policy, he
hoped the Bill in its progress would meet with little'
opposition. He had a!so to move for 11.-. ave to bring
in another Bill, consequent upon the former, for the'
regulation of the intercourse of Great Britain with
St. Helena, in which some rules would be laid down
respecting the touching of merchant ships at the
island. Some difference would be observed in these'
regulations, however, as regarded the East-India
Company, considering that their veesels, as they were
more bke ships of war, were subject to a very strict
diacipl:ne. Tt.e Noble Lord then concluded by 1120 V.
'Fbat leave be given to bring in a Bill for main-
taining in custody Napoleon Bonaparte."
Mr. BROUGHAM, whatever he might have
to say upon the subject of Bonaparte's conduct, could
nor but agree with the motion of the Noble Lord,
and he thought the House would give an almost im-
mediate concurrence to any measure, which had for
object the sale custody of their prisoner. As to
the necessity, he thought the Noble Lord bad acted
with perfect propriety in stating it to Parliament,
the ugh it was his opinion, that whether at a prisoner
or war, or as a native of a territory now under the
Crown of France, and unclaimed by the Government
of that country, we had an undoubted right to confine
him without any Act of Parliament. He hoped, at
the same time, that he should be kept in inch a state
of security as the state of Europe required.—he would
be treated with lenity, and even with kindness. He
find thought it his duty to make the few •Ititervations
which had just fallen from him, to prevent any mis-
take that might be made respecting his sentiments,
°a any future occasion. He might have had a few
observations to make upon the kubject, but he should
reserve them till he had seen the Bill of the Noble
Lord. •
Mr. FORBES wished to know if the Noble Lord
had takeu into consideration the great loss which
wi.uld be suffered by the inhabitants of St. Helena,

_

in consequence of the restrictions upon foreign trade
to which they would be liable ?
Lord CASTLEREAGH believed, that theinter-
nal prosperity of the island would be rather aug-
mented than diminished, by the imprisonment of Bo-
naparte, bits if any loss was sustained, such regula-
tions would be made as to prevent it from becoming
very serious, or indeed to prevent any injury at all
to the inhabitants.
Lord NUOENT wished to know in what light
Bonaparte would be considered, as the Noble Lord
had not directly stated it to the House.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that Bonaparte
would be considered and tre.ued as a prisoner of war.
Mr. GRENFELL hoped, that there would be no
limitation, as his Honourable and Learned Friend
seemed to wish, to the confinement of Bonaparte, but
that it should be stated and -considered that he was to
be detained for life.
Mr. BROUQHAM explained. He did not mean
to say that there should be any limitation to the con-
finement of Bonaparte, but that it was not a time to
discuss the limitation, if there was to be any.
General MATI-lEW wishei to ak the N 'lsle Lord
whether there was any intention on the part of this
Government to kvep General Bertrand and the other
Officers who were prisoners with Bonaparte ? He
could not disconr any right we had to keep these
gallant men prisoners of war, now we were at peace
with all the world.

The AITORNEY•GENERAL thought the Bill
sufficiently explained itself. It was entitled a Bill
for the better securing the person of Napoleon Dona-
's:ate, anti alludeti to no other person.
Mr. RENNET I' wished to know from the Noble
Lord (Castlereagh) if there was any intention of
detaining these persons, either as prisoners of war or
other wise ?

Lord CASTLEREAGH said, it was not in the
contemplation of Government to keep them.
The Noble Lord's mution was then put, and leave
given to bring in Bills accordingly.
Mr. D. BROW N moved for leave to bring in a
Bill for slimming tile duration of Polls at Elections
in Ireland.

Sir F. FLOOD opposed the Bill, as tending to in-
vade the franchise tights of the People of Ireland.
General NIATHEW declared his determination
to oppose 014 Bill in every stage. He would now
take the earliest opportunity of doing so, and should
exert his privilege, by m9ving that the House be
c?unted. This was accordingly done, and there not
being forty Members present, the House adjourned at
Nine o'clock.

THE EVENING STALL

LONDON.

WgDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1816.
PRICE OF STOCK THIS DAY AT 1 WELVE O'CLOCK*
Reduced (slaut)—Cons. mo. Glf; —for ace. 20
1 per Cent. (ahut)—.3 per Calm. 90j3—!fond, s. Si. pr.
pron. 111 pr.—Do. pay. Balla 31. du. par.

It is creditable to the character of the country
that the proposal made by the CHANCELLOR Of
'the EZCIIEQUER, to throw the principal portion
of the Income Tax upon Annuitants, Manuf tc-
turers, and Merchants, and exempt the Landholders
and Agriculturalists by the operation of his modifi-
cations, hitherto have only brought forward
two or three Petitions in favour of the Tax. This
fact proves, incontestibly,that at whatever c!egree in
the scale of cupidity Ministers may have placed our
Landholders, Agriculturists, and Yeomanry, they
have been completely mistaken in the estimate they
had formed of their character. They have shewn
themselves neither so dis:ionest nor so stupid as to be
caup,h: by such a bait, or to be thus induced to assist
in rivetting upoit th air fellow citizens the chains of
slavery.
In fact the scheme of nwellficaticns, of indagencies
as to the period; of payment—mercifully offering to,
allow farmers to become debtor: to the Exchequer for
their reduced quotas for even C•ree years—that is five
in all (for we must add the three year: of grace to the
end of the true in which the charge becomes due)
betrays, with other fallacies that have been exposed,
the real object in view, by pressing this measure iu
opposition to the generally expressed sense of the na-
tion. It is neither more nor less than to obtain a
frrectdent for imptisitorial taxation in astime of Peace;
for if they can do without the proceeds of this tax for
lee or the greater portion of fire year:, it is plain that
the tax is not called for by the necessity of having
money to meet present exigencies, which was the
first strong plea of Ministers.
But le the country is thriving and ftrosprons," and
therefore can well afford ; twentieth of its annual in-
come. We wish that those who talk of the present
prosperity of the country—that Ministers who assert
it would sit for only one morning in the back shop of
any of the City Banking-houses, to obtain proofs of
the present prosperous condition of 'the Merchants !
They would find the present distress such, that if
banking were their own trade, they would instantly
shut up shop to escape from the scene of misery. Of
the state of the Farming Interest we say nothing, as
Ministers have admitted that it is distressing in the
extreme. There is another quarter where Ministers,
if that were their wish, might obtain very complete
information on the present state of the Commercial

Interestz..we mean Glasgow. We might mention
other places ; but we mention Glasgow, because a
Petition in favour of the Tax has been presented from
some respectable persons in that city. Let Ministers
only inquire at their own collectors in that city, how
many of those who there contributed largely to the
Income Tax informer years, will not,/ continue to
pay it should the TAX be imprudently persisted in
The answer will be. that within these few weeks woof
of the most respectable Manufacturers and Merchants

have stopped payment, and thousands of smiting
;people been thrown out-of employment.
, In one'word, to press this 'rax is to devote the
Empire to destruction. What was the real objrct-of
the Sinking Fund ? Let this question be freed from
all sophistry, and the answer must be, to provide by
prudent foresight in a time of affluence for future
want or necessity, in such a manner that the present
excess might come in aid of future want. It was
hoped perhaps that the time of necessity might be
more remote than facts have sbewn ; but that time
has arrived, and therefore the Sinking Fund should
be resorted to instantly, as the only means left for
securing to the stuckholder the regular payment of
his dividends; for if by draWing too much from the
people, you lessen their capital, and palsy their in-
dustry ; you destroy the only security which the free-
holder has.

A supply of German Papers reached us this morn-
ing : they are chiefly filled with details respecting the
affairs of Prussia. The Libe:ty of the Press is about
to be put on the same footing in Prussia as in Eng-
land : no limitation whatever will be put to the num-
ber of Journals, and one Journal only (The (prial
Gazette) will be subjected to a Censor. Libels Kill
be prosecuted before a Tribunal created for the pur-
pose—this part of the proposed system is extremely
objectionable: if there is to be a special Tribunal for
the trial of Libels, we cannot conceive a better engine
in the hands of a Despot—and under its jurisdiction
we may safely venture to predict, the Liberty of the
Press in Prussia will be but an empty name. 'The
usual Judges and Jurors of the country—those who
are daily called upon to determine questions of right
between their fellow-citizens, can alone 'decide upon
the criminality of intention, when the Gorernment
is pleased to select a victim in the case of libel.
Switzerland begins to revive under the present ar-
rangements: Huninguen, once A formidable place of
arms, is now declared to be a free town for com-
merce ; its fortifications have been demolished.

The evacuation of Genoa by the British troops,
gives occasion in the Continental Journals to a very
handsome, and we may add, a very just eulogium
on their good conduct.