Star.
London, England, 1818-05-01 00:00:00

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,PARLIAMENTARK PROCKDINGS.
HOU °kaiak APRIL 30.
Lotd '-tbPetitien
dram several
Gowen of Sapwood, against any diminution in
tike dodo at *pip lap Sad and 'Rape Oil.
Mt. ROBINSON obssr red, that though he was aware of the
impolicy of the doey,,aad Ow* ready to acquiesce in a certain
reduction, yet as the interest of the growers of rape in this coun-
try was concerned, he thought it was right to continue the duty
until the year 1119 at least.
After a few words from Mr. T. 'Atm and Lord Loco.r.ss,
the Petition was ordered to be printed.
Lo3rd STANLEY presented a Petition from several Cotton
bbners in the neighbourhood of Manchester, praying that tbe
Petition from the Calico Printers mig7tt be taken into full con-

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aideration.
The Cotton Factories Bill rent ead a third time
Com m and passed.
and
The Slave Trade Treaty through a ittee,
the Report was ordered to be received to-morrow.
Tie Duke of Cambridge's Annuity Bill went through a Com-
mittee and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow.
The Duchess of Cumberland's Annuity Bill also went through
a Committee, and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow.
The Irish Court House Bill was read a second time, and or-
dered to-be committed to4norrow.
Mr. BENNET presented several Petitions, each signed by
21 persons, praying for Parliamentary Reform.—Ordered to
lie on the table.
Mr. METIIUEN presented a Petition from the Woollen
Manufacturers'of the County of Wilts, praying that no addi-
tional duty should be imposed oa the raw material.—Ordered
to lie onthe table.
Mr. W. BURRELL brOught in a Bill for Lighting the Town
of Brighton with Gas, which was read a first time.
Mr. WARRE wished to ask the Noble Lord opposite (Cas-
tlereagh) whether any arrangement had, taken place relative to
the claimants on the French Government, as a report of the kind
W 34 in circulation?
Lord CASTLEREAGH observed, that not having received
any official communication on the subject, he was at that roo-
=lnt unable to give the Honourable Member a satisfactory an
• r. Ile had no doubt, however, that such, an arrangement
bad taken place, and when duly informed of it he would make
it known to the House.
Mr. PROTIIEROE presented a Petition from the Inhabi-
tants of Bristol, complaining of the want of provision made for
the poor Scotch and Irish who wished to return to their native
countries; in consequence a weighty burthen feU on seaport'

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towr.s.
Mr. S. BOURSE said, that Government was desirous of af-
fording every possible relief to so pressing an evil.
A Member observed, that the distrets prevailing among the
class of persons alluded to had occasioned emigrations to Ame-
rica to a great extent. He wished to know whether it was in-
tended to make any regulations on the subject
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, the subject to which the Ho-
nourable Member alluded had, for a considerable time, occupied
the mind of the Noble Lord in whose Department It more im-
mediately was, and that every practicable moons of remedying
the grievance would be adopted.
Mr. PROTHEROE presented a Petition from several per-
sons at Bristol, praying against that clause of th 4. Poor Bill which
obliged owners of houses under 201. a year rent to pay the Poor-
rates, when not paid by the occupiers. Ordered to lie on the table.

waren solicits.
The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND moved,
that the Order of the Day should be read for the
second reading of his Bill, for regulating the Expen-
diture and Accounts of the Royal Scotch Burghs, to-
morrow, for the purpose of discharging that Order,
and postponing the probable discussion thereon to a
rre dis,ant day.
Lord A. HAMILTON objected to any considera-
ble delay taking place in fle arrangement of the
affairs of those Burghs, which had been rov d on a
former night to have been in so confused and unsar
tisfactory a state.
The LORD ADVOCATE suggested the propriety
of giving sufficient time to the Convention of Scotch
Burghs, a species of controlling Council, which sat
at stated periods in Edinburgh, and to whom, as the
law now stood, had been intrusted the superinten-
dei.ce of these Scotch Burghs, in order that they
might examine the provisions of the Bill now pend-
ing, and see whether there were any suggestions
which might be made with advantage to the objects
proposed to be effected by the Bill ; that Convention
did not meet until the 3d of July—it was therefoie
his intention 'to postpone the second reading of the
Bill until this day three months.
• Mr. FINLAY thought it very improbable that any
me Bill could possibly embrace remedies for all the
grievances or subjects of complaint preferred against
the present Constitution of these Btu ghs. He could
easily perceive that the Learned Lord had found
himself suddenly placed in a very delicate situation
--but it was one altogether of his own choosing.—
He had, as the adviser of the Crown, submitted the
re vil;al of the Charters of several of these Burghs,
owing to their having, from various circumstances,
expired. Now he had been assured, by tiersons well
acquainted with the subject, that these revived Char-
ters were of so very imperfect a nature, that they
could not be supported if brought into question in a
Court of Law. The ccmsequenae, therefore, of the
Learned Lord's Bill would be, that these Burghs,
instead of being improved by the Bill, would ac-
tually be without any charter at all. and that these
Burghs would be disfranchised.—The older being
discharged,
The LORD ADVOCATE rose, and moved the
second reading of the Bill, this day three months,
stating, that it was his object that the nature of the
Bill should be generally known in Scotland. He was
apprehensive the Honourable Member had been mis-
informed respecting the tendency of the revived
Charters. He did not see how the Constitution of the
Burghs under those Charters, were rendered nuga-
tory, and it was his intention, by the Bill before the
I louse, to give the greatest possible publicity to all
the accounts of the Burghs, by rendering their books
and expenditure liable to be inspected from time to
time by its members, and to adopt those measures
in the election of Magistrates and Officers within the
Burghs, which he trusted would very materially im-
prove their Constitution.
The SPEAKER rose to order. It was an unusual
mode of proceeding to move the reading on one day
of an order which stood for another later day, for
the purpose of postponing such order. If, therefore,
the Motion of the Learned Lord could not be dis-,
posed of otherwise than by a debate, it would be'
much more advisablesthat the Learned Lord should
confine himself to giving a notice of his intention to-
morrow, to postpone the second reading of the Bill.
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON was aazious
the discussion should not be unnecessarily post coned,
and hoped the Learned Lord would name an earlier
day than that proposed. The situation of Scotland
at this moment was truly alarming as to these Burghs;'
for should a general election take place, several of
them being at this moment in a disfranchised state,.
they were unable to proceed to the election of Mem-
bers of Parliament, and whilst in that state, they
were competent to petition against the return of

._.,cis so returned to Parliament as being ille-
gal elections.
After an arrangement between the Loan ADVO-
CATE, Lord A. HAMILTON, and Mr. DOUGLAS, the
second reading of the Bill was fixed for Monday.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. BENNETT presented the Petition of Robert.
Owen, complaining of the practice, in a particular
instance, in the Court Of Session in Scotland; which
was read, and upon tfie motion of Mr. Bzwiarr,
that it should be printed,
The LORD ADVOCATE of SCOTLAND op.
posed its being printed, as alledging a general mg.
administration of justice in the Courts of Session.
Mr. BENNETT demanded its being printed, as a
matter of right.
Lord A. HAMILTON said, he did not under-
stand the Petition had proceeded to impeach the Ad-
ministration of Justice, but the state of the laws of
the country as they stood at present. It was a fact,
that the Scotch Statutes were, in numerous instances,
in abeyance, or out of operation, and it was impossi-
ble to say which were so or which were not. The
question remained in the breast of the Judges, who
alone were to decide. What would the English peo-
ple think, or how would they express themselves, if
it were known to be a fact that a considerable por-
tion of the Statutes on record were in a state of abet.
ante? Would it for a-moment be endured? Caul
'rain's, not.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY said this was not the first time
the had had to protest against the doctrine advanced
by some Gentlemen opposite with regard to the
printing of petitions presented to that House. He
could not conceive it possible to defend such a doc-
trine upon any sound principle. The objections of
the Learned Lord might apply upon the motion that
the petition should lie upon the table, but they were
quite inapplicable against the proposition for printing.
The motion was then agreed to.
PERSONS CONFINED FOR SMALL DEBTS IN SCOTLAND.
Mr. FINLAY observed, that before he made the
motion, of which he had given notice, he felt it ne-
cessary to say a few words in explanation of its ne-
cessity. - It was common to find in the different pri-
sons in Scotland numbers of persons confined for
Sums.of very small amount. In Glasgow alone there
were no less than 91 persons confined for debts not
amounting to more than 1/. each—( Hear, hear.)—
It would be difficult for those persons who had not
visited Scotch prisons to conceive what a degree of I
misery and wretchedness was in them. It was tot'
to be endured that nu nerous individuals, many of,
whom had families depending on them for support,
should for such trifling sums be deprived of their
liberty for a length of time. Besides, it was inju-
rious to the morals of society, as not one single man
of them could be expected to come out of those pri-
sons without having his thoughts and habits vitiated
in some degree. Such a community of disttess and
of idleness must necessarily tend in some measure to
make a man worse than he was when he first went
to prison. There were also as many, if not a greater
number of persons confined for sums under .5/. In
short, the whole numbei• of persons confined in Scot-
land for small sums would astonish the House—
( Hear, hear, hear.)—He was unwilling to take up
their time on the subject at that moment—(hear,
hear),—and would, therefore, move—" That there
be laid before the House an account of the persons
confined in the different prisons in Scotland for debts
under the value of 11. ; an account of all persons
confined for sums above 11. and not more than 31.;
an account of the number confined for debts above
,3/. and not exceeding 51.; also an account of the
svhole number of persons confined, the period during
which they have been in prison, together with a
statement of the allowances to which the different
prisoners were entitled."
Mr. W. SMITH observed, that as there could be
no opposition to the motion, it was needless to take
up the time of the House in speaking on it. At the
same time, he could not help expressing a wish that
the feeling which actuated the Honourable Member
(Mr. Finlay) in making the motion was more general,
as it would tend to relieve an accumulation of real
wretchedness and hardship—(Hear, hear, hear.)
The accounts moved for were then ordered.
EDUCATION OP THE POOR.

Sir W. CURTIS rose, to complain of the observa-
tions which he had seen published, as having been
made by an Honourable an•.l Learned Member, in
relation to a charitable institution which had been
stated as having swerved from the line originally
established by the founder.
Mr. BROUGHAM observed, that if any Honour-
able Member should feel concern in respect to the
statements which were published regarding the ob-
servations made in the House, he conceived that it
would be difficult for him to offer any decided opi-
nion in relation to a subject which was frequently
misrepresented. He, however, took the opportunitp
to inform the Honourable Member, that having been
a Member of the Committee on the Education of the
Poor Bill, he, in common with the other Members
of the Committee, had inquired into the state of
Christ's Hospital, concerning which, eight statements
of abuses had been transmitted to the Committee,
five of which he was pleased to discover were un-
founded. There were, however, three abuses, and
the impression of the Committee was somewhat of
surprise, when it discovered that but three abuses

existed—(hear, I:ra r.)
Lord CASTLEREAGH wished to ask, if it was

the intention of the Honourable and Leidned Gentle-
man to postpone his motion regarding the further
consideration of the Report on the Education of the
Poor Bill ?
Mr. BROUGHAM stated, that it was his inten-
tion to postpone the motion, and he therefore moved,
that the Order of the Day be read.
The Order of the Day was then read, and the
further consideration Qf the Report was deferred till
Monday next.
COUNTRY BANKERS' REGULATION BILL.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose
and said, that as the Bank Restriction Bill was to be
taken into consideration on Monday next, he wished
to postpone the Country Bankers' Regulation Bill ;
as a Meejing of several respectable Country Bankers
had taken place.yesterday, in which the merits of
the Bill were fully considered, and several modifica-
tions proposed, which rendered the passing of the
Bill difficult during the present Session. He wished,
therefore, that it should be understood, that, although
his opiaiou respeqing do utility of the Bill was not