Star.
London, England, 1817-01-30 00:00:00

! eth s as that Which had been rejected this rreniag by
the House?
Lord COCHRANE thought it contained tome
other mitten.
Aft( r ,1 short conversation the Petition was rejected.
Lord STANLEY observed, that there was already
en the table a Petition from the same town in the
roe county. He wi.lie.l the *Noble Lnrd to state,
sshrther it was the s.inie ? He wimid ow n that he
!ad no knowledge ni these Petitions previously to the
er.:,ent motion. He was aware that a great number
ci Petitions on the same subject were intended to he
prevnted from that Cminty to the Hawse, but with
ttese he was ruu in the least acqu slated. He hoped
a behalf of those of his constituents who had thought
ate Noble Lord more worthy of being their represen-
:Atire, that if this Petition were couched in the same
,bjectionable language as those already rejected, he
.ctuld give them an opportunity of reconsidering
:•leir expressions, and rendering them more fit to be

I;: ct,rd.

Lord COCHRANE stated, that the Petitions had
been placed is his hands without any interference on
his side, and that he had never been in that part of
the country.
Lord STANLEY wished to know whether the
present Petition was the same as the former ?
Lord COCHRANE thought that it complained
of different things.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE thought, that if the petition
snatained matter which the House had determined
10 be offensive. it should not be received.
Gtr. HUSKISSON could not help observing, that
the prier of the petition stood on a distinct sheet
from tLe signatures, which might thus have been ob-
tained to be annexed to any other piece of paper,
with very different views. He thrught that the Ho-
nourable Members who presented Petitions should be
!wired to stite that the signatures annexed in that
manner to them had been really obtained for that
purpose ; otherwise signatures might be applied to
dints for which they were not intended.
The SPEAKER stated, that it was a general rule
of the House to expect on every Petition certain sig-
natures subscribed. If the signatures were on any
other paper, then the Petition was to be considered
;is without signatures. In that which he now held in
his hands, there was no signature affixed to the Peti-
t:on itself. When the signatures were too numerous,
it was natural that other sheets should be added ; but
Men some of them must be subscribed at the close of
the Petition on the original sheet.
Mr. CANNING remarked, that it was the same
with the Petition from Ashton, though there was
ample room (or the signatures.
Mr. HUSKISSON 'thought that after the rule
rhich had beeu laid down, u was incumbent on the
Yoble Lord to say whether die signatures had been
obtained for the Petition in question ?
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT asked whether any
Gentleman in the anise would lay his hand upon
his heart, and say, that he did not believe the eigna-
tires had been intended fur the Petition to which they
acre affixed? The manner in which they were at-
tached liad'probably arisen from the number of per-
sons who wished to sign in different districts, and
whose names, after being collected, had been annexed
in the Petition. All large Petitions piesented to the
House were in the same dilemma to a certain event ;
tor if only six or seven persons bad signed on the first
sheet, there was no more reason to believe that the
rimes on tlie additional ahem were intended fur the
petition, than in the present inst ince. This doctrine
aaolow for the first time brought forward. (No,ne!ee the
Ministerial tide.) He then expressed his surprise that
.1 entering the House he should have witnessed the
teection of a Petition, without hearing a single argu-
ment used against it.
The AT FORNEY-GENERAL observed. that
Pie ignorance of the Honourable Baronet arose from
!,is coming late-to the House. He would otherwise
fizve known that die Petition to which be had alluded,
had been rejected without any argument, because the,
itigse had prevjously cltcided that one containing
Cie same language could not be admitted. He did
hot agree with the Honourable Baronet that the ob.-
1.,.ti0n now taken was merely technical and formal.
if a Petition be presented on a sheet of parchment,
the prayer on a piece of paper, and the James on
aliati,r, the latter might have been annexed to either
the former. This would not do in common life,
la', to make the two one instrument, the party who
alius his signature must have had an opportunity of +
seung both, otherwise it might be possible that bu-
!eau: sloaild be open in certain parts for Petitions,
ald other fitireauz in other parts for receiving signa-
:nos, without having seen the Petitions. The House
..tight to know whether. the Petitions really were those
1! the persona whose signatures. were added to them.
It the Noble 'Lord could throw no light on the sub-
ject, he had bean practised upon by the persons who
:1,,t given him the Petitions without :applying him
With proper information.
Sr. FRANCIS BURDET'T repeated his former
argument, thllt when a petition was only signed on
the tits: sheet by one name. it ought so be considered
Lily as the petition t..f one individual, it the present
tl.,cirine were admitted.

Mr. ELLIOT, since he had held a sett in Parlia-
mc'nt, had never voted for the reeept• I petit' s,
toe whole yam and tenor of which weft insulting to
the I-Luse. It was because he most highly valucd
ttAht of petition, that his chief aim was to guard
lz Iron abuse. The Hon. Baronet had 1111E5111We:-
'.10.4 the subject. It was necessary that there should
;tt IC.ist one signature on the sheet ut the petition,
"I'd it remained fur the House to decide whether it
"2ld now depart from tis usual practice
The SPEAKER. stated, that it should be well un-
-441;104 that any Honourable Member offering a
k”.t!.,:i to the Muse, was bound to to make himself
....taut of its subject.. The Noble Lord had not read
Imititin before ; he now had aM •opportunity I
it, and of acquiring that informAtion of which
preitiosity to have possessed himself.
C. W. WYNNEbbjected to thePetitinn +being
reteltell, unless the Noble Lord should stile that it
Ir.ob the asthma,. leochAge of that which bed
to rejected.
KOBINSON thought that the Noble Lord
hiottelt to blame for the difficulties which
had encountered. +le had already beets asked on
Anne, Petition, witethrr it were the same as one
hilt fad been rejected bad replied. that it
Pfeafied to him to contain stew matter. Ihe Pt ti-
twi had conseluently been lead, and had beep futma