Star.
London, England, 1816-07-02 00:00:00

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PARLIAMENTARY PRO

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.161NGS.

- •, HOUSE OP LQIIDS, JULY 1.
In Mobs* o. Livingston, judgment of the Court below of

The cave of Stirling v. Ca ni bell affirmed in part, and remits,
ted u to a!lother part.
'The Royal Assent was given by Commission to the Paper
Duty Bill, the Loan Charge the hschequ.:rs' Consdlielation
Bill, the British and lark Spirt!' Trade 11th, the Sco:ch D'stil-
lery Bill, the Irish Stamps' Duty BM, the Beer Puty Bill, the
Claremont Estate Bill, the Silk Alanufac tires 80, the Habeas
Corpus Bill, the Spirit Licence Bill, the ;can Passage
the Oil and Blubber Bill, the Gaol Fees Aholitioti Fill, the Lead
Mines Coal Bull, the Small Coil Bill, the Inland Coal Bit, the
Leather or Tanners and Carriers Bill, the Clergy Farms Bill, the
Insolvent Di-trots' Amendment Bit. the I ridtlneolvent D-loots'
the Mines Machinery 1411, tie Militsa lt.rt E.l 1, the Mu-
tiny Act Amendment Bill, the Criminal Lunatic Ital. and some
Private itn., including the New Street bid. Commissioners,
' Lords EC.DuN. REIMIDALE, and Suarrastresv.

The 11111 and Parish Appientices Bill were returned
from the Commtms with the Arnet,tbneuta agreed to.
A Person from the Treasmy presented certain Papers relative
to the Fundtd Debt : and i Per‘on from the Council-Office pre-
sented the Returns moved fur by the Earl of HAR noway, rela-
tive to Glebe Houses and the Residence of the Clergy. Laid
on the Table.

GAS BILL.
On the Motion for the third reading of the Gas till,
The Eel.leif LAUDERDALE observed, that it
was absolutely imp•'ssihle that any Peer could stile
any geed ground for the passing of this Bill. It was
as dry and glaring a job as ever had been presented
to the consiekration of any Legislature. The prin
ciple upon which their Lordships ought to act. upon
ste.h occasions, was plain and clear. When a*Cetet-
paity came to them to ask for extraordinary and ex-
there privileges and powers, it was expected that,
. the y should skew that it would be for the public ad-
vantage to grant [hese powers and privileges, and
:also that the powers and privileges so wanted should
•iett be of such a nature as to ruin the Company if-
Now, as to the first of these points, they had
steevn no public advantage that would arise from it :
on the contrary, the object was to procure these
powers and privileges to this Company, so as to
enable them to prevent competition by private capi-
tal ; and so far this would have the' effect of a nto-
haply. The advantage which they had prora:sed to
the public when they obtained their former Act was,
that they could by this afford for the public lamps a
better and a cheaper light. Now it evidently ap-
peared, from the examinations on the Committee,
that they could net continue to perform their promise
without ruin arid bankruptcy. His Lordship read
several passages irons the eviJence, from wlech; as
be ,COOtent;ej, it was clear that the concern had all
along been a losing one, and that there was not a
shadow of prospect that they could render the con-
cern protitebla, v ithnut consider ably augmenting
their prices. In this state of• things how could tbeir
Lordships, consistee t y with the principles upon which
they usually acted k 4 ith regard to terse metiers, con-
bent to pass a 11111 wh;ch would enable the Do ecti.rs
of this Ceinpany to raise an additienel iC2‘,0,000,
when they must be aware that, if the public were
thoroughly acqueitated with the state of the concern,
no man would advance his money upon it? It was
in the confidence that the Legtslature would oot pass
Bills in support el a concern which mist be a losing
Pus that the subscribers advanced their money ; and
be trusted thermic, they would see that it was their
duty not to pass this Bill. Besides these obj-ctions,
they had to consider tee injury which they would do
to the whale-fishery, which had• received particular
encouragements by no less than six Acts of Parlia-
ment since i 3 Geo. 111. It was MOST important in
a public view that the whale fishery should not be in-
jured by giving these extreordinary powers to this
Gas Com ran y. They ought at least to allow the
whale oil to hive its fair competi!ho. Then on these
three grounds—that no public advantage would :arise
from the passing this Bill—thet the proceeding mould
reduce the Company itself to bankruptcy—and that
the whale fishery would be injuied—their Lordships
ought not to pass this Bill, which was a mere job and
bone -ug upen the public.

The Earl of LIMERICK said, that notwithstand
ing the confi.l.et assertions of the Noble Eatl, he
would support tee 13111. Great gold had resulted to
the public trim this invention ; and though the Com-
pany had not as yet derived much profit from it, he
maimained that there was reason from the evidence
to conclude, that the Company would derive consi-
ditable profits from the concern. They were per-
fectly ready to fulfil their stipulations with the public,
and p pl y gas via the terms which they had pro-
mi,ed : and as to the whale fishery, what had those
engaged in it. to apprehend, if this Company must
b.come bankrul:t according to the Noble Earl's pre-
eictiort ? But granting that some injury might be
done to the public in that way, it would be more,
than compensated by the increased consumption of
coals, the coal trade being notoriously the best nursery
lot seamen.
Toe Earl of HARROWBY said, that though his
N Jble Friend had the courage to mount the breach,
he had not been able to resist the fire. He had not I,
shewn that ally public advantage would arise from
the passing of this Bill. He thought the Whale-
Os!tery of public importance, though riot of so much
ituportant.e as same conceived it to be. , He would
not therefore discourage thi. new and beautiful in-
ventiot, mt.rely to support the Whale•Viciy but
then the oil ought to be left to its fair competition :
and even with a view to the advantage to be derived
from this very discovery, no extraordinary powers
rai;ht to be granted to any particular company.—
Tins would only enable them to drive competitors
from the market by underselling them in the first in.
st ,flee, and Then they might raise their terms, and
supply we public with a worse article at a higher
price. This would therefore have, in sortie measure,
the effect of a monopoly ; and upon the whole be saw
no good reason for passing the Bill.
Lord LONGFORD supported the Bill upon the
same grounds as those stated by the Earl of Limerick.
Tile Earl or LAUDERDALE stated, that in case
• the SU should be read a third time, he would move
ark antetdment. that the Company should not have
the power to raise the prices stated by themselves in
we lif. their schedules to be sufficient.
Upon the question, that the Bill be now read a
third time, the 1-1-use divided.—Contents. 16; Not-
pottsents,ts—Majurity, 1.
The then read a third time; • and we un-
dectiold that while strangers were excluded.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE moved his amend-

ment, there being 10 lorit, and 16 epithet it. The
Bill was then passed, and sent to the Commohs.
The Appropriation Bill was read a third time end
passed.—Adjourned.
HOUSE OP COMMONS.
The SPEAKER having attended witesome Members in the
House of Peers, to hear the Royal Assent given, by Commis-
shoo to a vast number of Public and Private Hills (for the names
of o hich km oar Peers' Report), informed the House ache same

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ou his return.
A Message from the Lords announced their Lordship? assent
to various thib, without any amendments and the return of
others, with several asnendments, to which they desired the con•
currence ut the Commons.
A person from the Mies of the Chief Secretary of State for
Ireland presented an ACCOMV of the sums of money received by
the Directors of the Inland Navigation.
Ilsritnis accounts of Imports, Esports, &c. were also presented
front the Custom house.
Mr. Bs u nitre r presented an account of the number of per-
sons in the ci..to.lx of the Marshal or the King's Bench Prison ;
the number of which was, on the esth June, 1816, 753. Simi-
lar accounts were presented: of the number persons confined in
the Fleet anJ Musbaisea Prisons to the same period.