Star.
London, England, 1828-06-17 00:00:00

[PRICE SEVENPENCR:

Man had to put a third life in a lease which he Wall
granting of a part of his private property.
Mi. C. W. WYNN understood that a pledge will
held out that all offices in which there was no duty ;to
perform should be abolished after this year. The present-
Bill was intended to continue a sinecure of 6,0001. a- -
year, for a third life. The fees co sld not be reduced •
nor the cake abolished during the lives of three persons: -
If the present Bill passed, the emoluments were-a great
deal too high; they were larger than those of any situa-
tion in the King's gift except that of Lord Chancellor.
It was probable that a young life would be appointed, •
aid in that case, the emolun ants might amount to 16
or 20 0001. before the life was tun out. He strongly
recommended the adoption of the course suggested by
the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, that the three lives
might now be put in the patent, but that a reservation
should be made, giving Parliament the power of abo- •
lishing the office or reducing the fees. He very re-
luctantly opposed the passing of the Bill, but conceived
the fees were already disproportionate, and likely to be
much larger.
Dr. LUSHINGTON agreed with the principle laid •
down by the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wynn) that
when the fees of a public office were too large, Parlia. •
ment ought to have the power of reducing those fees, or
of *Wishing the office. But be was not convinced by
what was said, that the Bill now before the House mili-
tated against that principle. A great deal had been said
about the large emoluments of the office, and he did not
say that it might not be expedient to reduce those fees. He
could bear testimony, that the business and duties-of
this office were conducted with the greatest satisfaction
to the pubhe, and that they required the greatest atten-
tion from the:officer. It would be right for the House
to know in what manner the former Archbishop en-
joyed the patronage of the office. The Archbishop bad
the power t r grant the office to three lives at a time; -
and when one life dropped off, it bad been custansary
for the other two to surrender their interest, and take a
new grant. On the present occasion, however, the
patentees found some difficulty in surrendering their
rights from settlements connected with their family
affairs, and the present Bill was only intended to give
the Archbishop the power of filling up the vacant life
without requiring the patentees to surrender their rights.
There was not the slightest inconvenience to the public
from this course. If the Bill was rejected, the patentees
and the Archbishop would come to some arrangement, •
and three young lives might be substituted, by which
the public interest, so far from being advanced, would
undergo deterioration. On every. principle of justice,
;and considering what was due to the individual who ,
now held the See. of Canterbury, he thought the House
should consent to the passing of this Bill.
Dr. PHILLIMORE could not concur in the argua •
ments of his Honourable and Learned Friend. The
Finance Committee of 1817 recommended the abolition •
of this office of Principal Registrar. It had teen said
that the duties of the office were adequately performed.
That was true; but they were noe performed by the
Principal Regiairars, but by the Deputies. When the •
House had to deal wita. the reversion of sinecures to the
amount of 18,0001. a year, he thought some such step
as that proposed by the Honourable Member for Aber-
deen was necessary. Those Officers who really did the
duties of the Regii vats were ill paid, as well as tie
Judge of the Court, whose duties were so arduous and
important ;..and the abolition of the sinecures would
enable the House to do justice to their zeal and activity.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, that when a'
Commission had sat upon these Courts, and after re-
commending the abolition of other officer, bad passed •
this over, it was too mach to call upon the House in
this accidental manner to abolish it without investiga-
lion. All that the Bill called upon them to do was, to
give the same power to the Archbishop of Canterbury
which was possessed by the Bishop of London on the
other side of the water, for so long as the office of Re-
gistrar should continue to exist.
Mr. HUME said a few words in reply.
Sir J. YORKE supported the Amendment.
The House then divided. when there appeared—
For the Amendment, 49 I Against it, 113 I Majority, 34.
Mr. HUME then moved a clause, declaring that the Act sboald
have no effect upon the right of Parliament to deal with-the cake
hereafter without granting compensation to the Patentees.
• The -ATTORNEY GENERAL opposed the clause.
Mr. CARTER supported it.
Sir J. YORKE asked where was the use of cutting off the pay
of active officers, when here were admitted dnecures to the amount
of 13,000 i. a year, and the House refused to abolish it?
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the Clause 110
Against it 74
The original motion was therefore carried by a majority of t 4,
and the Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. L. KECK presented a Petition from Lorghborough, in
Leicestershire, in favour of the circulation of Small Notes. Also
a similar Petition from certain Freeholders in the Manny of Lei.

Mtn'. •
The Hon. Mr. PANE presented a similar Pedtipn from Lyme

Regis.
Mr. G. BANKES presented a copy of the Mdmorlal of the
British Merchants trading to India to the Court of Directors of
the Hon. East India Company.—Ordered to be printed.
Al oars' CHAKIIRP s.
Sir J. SCARLETT presented a Petition from the Anomie,
practising in the Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas, com-
plaining of the entire unfitness of the Judges' Chambers for the
purposes for which they were used.
Mr. HUME confirmed the statement made by the Petitioners,
and hoped that the grievances would be removed, especially as the
akerations might be effected at little expense.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said the Hon. Member had forgotten to
point out the remedy, although he appeared to think it so simple.
Mr. HUME said he was informed that there was some ground
in the immediate neighbourhood on which adequate buildings might
be erected at a very moderate expense.
Sir J. SCARLETT said that the garden of the Rolls' House
might be made use of, without infringing, which he, should be ex-
treniely sorry to do, upon the privileges of the Master of the Rolls.
He strongly supported the Petition.
Mr. H ARYRY supported the Petition.
lair J. YORKE said he entirely believed that the Judges' Cham-
bers were remarkably inconvenient, and he was quite sure that the
entrances to, and passages in the Courts of Law in Westminster
Hall required improvement.
The Petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR moved for a Return of all moneys paid
by the Commissioners for settling French Claims to the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Forests, stating the dates of the warrants,
the amount of each warrant, and by whom authorized.—Ordered. is
TRADA WITH INDIA. ub
Mr. HUSKISSON, in rising to present a Petitihn
from the Merchants of Calton', re,spect.ng the trade etalk•
this country with India, observed, tbat as all incidental.
discussions upon Petitions interfesed very much with '^'
the ordinary business of the House, and led to noprae- -
tical result, he would confine himself, on the present
occasion, to a mere statement of the nr tare of the Pt t -
'loners prayer. The Petition had been intrusted trs
him on the part of, he believed, almost every Merchant
and Trader in the City of Calcnva ; and it was alto