Star.
London, England, 1820-06-17 00:00:00

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.iitdag Wasshoz, Masts. Jong,

as riosaant, cony mans. -
Mr. CURWEIT precasted a redden kegs eertehtPatenheess
praying for some alteration he the Laws Meth. to Patents, foe
effectually securing the Specifications. The Petition was laid
ea the table, and the 'IP& Member gave nonce of a monies
for Wednesday neat on the subject.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY, the Chairman et the Eked=
Committee for Bishops' Castle, reported that Messrs. Holmes
and Rodgers were to be the sitting Members, and that the
lion. Douglas Kinnaird and Ms. Knight were net duly elected.
—*The Report further stated, that the right of election was
vested in the Burrow resident in the Borough foe a
year and a day. Clerk of the Crown was ordered to attend,
and amend the Writ accordingly. Tie Petitions on both sides'
were declared to be" neither frivolous nor vexatious.
Sir E. HARVEY presented a Petition from certain persons
resident in Essex, in favour or the Colchester Sessions' BilL—
Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY presented Petitions to the same
effect from three Parishes in the neighbourhood of Colchester.
—Laid on the table.
Sir THOMAS-ACKLAND presented a Petition from cer-
tain Agriculturists of a Parish in Devonshire, complaining of
the distressed state of Agriculture, and praying for relief.—
Laid on the table.
Mr. LINDSAY presented a Petition from the Linen Manu-
facturers of Perth, praying to be put on the same footing with
those of Ireland.—Laid on the table.
Mr. FINLAY presented a Petition from the Burgesses of
Glasgow, praying that no alteration might take place in the
laws relative to the Importation of. Timber from the Baltic.—'
Laid on the table. •

On the suggestion of the ATTORNIT-Gintsach who stated,
that the Criminal Laws were now under legal inquiry,
Sir J. M ACK INTOS.II consented to postpone the second
reading of his motion, relative to that subject, till Wednesday.
Mr. LITTLETON presented a Petition from the several
Members of the Corporation of Litchfield, complaining of the
undue interference of Peers in Elections for that City, and pray-
ing that the laws against such a practice might be revised and
amended. The Petitioners complained, that this influence was I
used by several Noble families residing in the neighbourhood of
Litchfield, as well as in the County of Stafford. In the year
1799, the number who hail the elective franchise was 300, of
whom only forty were leaseholders; whereas, from that period
down to 1813, the number had increased to sii hundred, in con-
sequence of annuities being given as a qualification by the Noble
families alluded to and their connexions. The Hon. Member',
assured the House, that atnung the many Petitions he had pre-
sented from the County of Stafford, there was not one more re-
spectably signed than the present, or deserved more to be taken
into the serious consideration of the House.

Mr. W ILLI AMS said, that he should again introduce the
motion be had submitted to the House last year, against the
practice of spitting votes at Elections, in the hope that it might
prove of some service towards checking the interference com-
plained of in the present Petition.
The Petition was read, and laid on the table.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS' BILL.

Lord ALTHORPE moved the third reading of
this Bill. The Noble Lofd observed, that it would
he proper the provisions of the 13111 should be ex-
tended to the Islands• of Guernsey, Jersey, and Al-
derney, where no relief whatever was at present ex-
tended to Insolvent Debtors, who, in many instances,
were confined for life. He said he should feel it his
duty to call the attention of the House to the subject
in the course of the next Session.

The Bill being read a third time and passed,
Mr. Alderman WOOD proposed three Clauses, by
way of rider, the first of which provided that every
debtor, upon applying for the benefit of the Act,
should be immediately placed in actual custody
within the walls of the prison.
Lord ALTHORPE objected.to the Clause, as be-
ing contrary to the spirit of the Bill before the House,
which expressly guarded against the system of
obliging debtors to waste their property in unneces-
sary
confinement.—The Clause was then withdrawn,
as were also the two others.