Star.
London, England, 1818-05-15 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 14.

Ina Committee of Privileges their Lordships heard some do-
cumentary and other evidence, respecting the Claim of Dame
Anne Peterson Anstruther, widow of Sir Philip Anstruther, of
Anstruther, hart. to the -Barony of Polwarth, of Polwarth.--
Turther consideration of the case postponed.
The House th'n resumed, and after prayers were read,
The Earl of CA L EDON presented a Petition from the In-
habitants of the Parish or District of Calnwarth, in the County
of Donegal, complaining of the injurious effects of certain parts
of the Distillery Laws in Ireland, and pr.ying for a revision of
the same.

The Abcrdzen Police Bill was brought up from the Commons
by Mr. DoGum.' and others, and read Cie first time, as were a
few ptiv...ie &Us presented by other Members.

COTTON MANUFACTORIEs. BILL.
The Earl of DERBY presented two Petitions against the
Bill before the House on this subject, and praying to be heard
by their Counsel against the same. The first of these was from
Preston, in Lancashire; and the second was from Liverpool,l
and contained a prayer against any removal of the Duties on
Printed Cotton Goods, in order to lay them on the r.etv material.
The Petitions were referred to the Committee on the Bill;
as was another Petition, presented by Viscount BULKELEy.
,against the measure. _ _

`,".. The Earl of LAUDERDALE, in pursuance of what bad
on a former evening, relative to tete bearing of Cannel
rde evidence on behalf of the Petitioners against the Cotton
Manufactoriea' Bill, moved for the attendance of certain indi.
viduals ; among wham were two or three medical men, and it
Clergyman, at tht. Bar of the House, on Tuesday next.
This proposition gave rise to a conversation of some length
between the Noble Earl and Lord KENYON, as to the ques-
tion of the necessity of hearing farther evidence on the svbject,
and also as to the sense entertained by the House on the former
evening upon the point.
Lord KENYON contended there was no necessity whatever
for their Lordships' hearing farther evidence respecting the mea-
sure. They had the voluminous mass given before Committees
of the House of Commons (all of which he had attentively pe-
rused) in the year 1816, which he thought included all that
could be brought forward upon the subject; and the ennsidera-
don chat the examinations were not taken up by that House in
the following year, was, in his mind, a proof that they deemed
what was already before them to'be sufficient. For his own
part, he felt confident, that nothing which could be urged by
Counsel could demonstrate the necessity of hearing farther
evidence.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE differed widely from the opi.
niuns of the Noble Lord, as well as from his inferences from
what had, and what had not taken place in another House upon
'the occasion. The circumstance of the other douse not having
taken up the examination last Session, was no ground whatever
for withholding their Lordships' House from inquiring further.
He had to say, what he believed few of their Lordships could,
viz. that he had read every word of the evidence ; and the imst
which he thought could be said of it was, that it afforded no
data whatever for their Lordships to act upon ; it even, in his
mind, contained a tissue of absurdities. It certainly was the
sense of the House that Evidence might be beard after theitat&
molts of Counsel.

On the question, the attendance of the witnesses moved for
by the Noble Earl, wAs ordered accordingly.

CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS RELIMATION BILL.

Lord AUCKLAND, in moving that this Bill be read a third
time that day six modths, observed, that all that had appeared in
evidence and on enquiry, demonstrated the necessity of some
Legislative regulation towards the relief of those unhappy objects
whom the measure principally respected. But thougll he was
convinced that effectual remedial substitutes may he produced,
almost without any inconvenience, and at a very trifling expense,
yet, from the nature of the opposition experienced by the mea-
sure, and the very late period of the Session, ha despaired of
being able to bring forward any modified measure which could
go at all to the general and salutary regulation its supporters had
it. view. Prospectively, however, particularly from the result (-;
these numerous experiments 'made at the instance of the Sur-
veyor-General, he was led to augur more favourably of the suc-
cess of a general and efficient Bill or. a future day.' No less a
number than sixty experiments had been tried upon the most
difficult chimnies, and not one failed. Upon the whole, there-
fore, he was induced, however dissor.ant to his feelings, to move
for a postponement of the measure, pledging himself to bring for-
ward its consideration early in the next Session of Parliament.
The Noble Led concluded by formally moving as above, which
was ordered accordingly.

INTENDED MARRIAGE OF THE DUKE OF KENT.
The Order of the Day for taking the Prince Regent's
Message of yesterday into consideration, being read,
The Earl of LIVERPOOL rose to move a corres-
ponding Address to his Royal Highness on the occa-
sion. lie did not feel it necessary in the present in-
stance to take up their Lordships' time, but begged
leave to call to the recollection of the House what he
had stated on a former occasion, on a topic nearly si-
milar. 'Their Lordships were also aware of what had
then occurred in another place. He had, however,
no difficulty in stating, that at present it was propo-
sed, under the circumstances of the case, regard being
had to the expressed opinion of Parliament, that Cie
same arrangement should be adopted with regard to
the Illustrious Personage who was the immediate,
subject of the present proceeding, as had been adop-
ted and sanctioned by Parliament in the case of his
Royal Highness the Duke of Gambridge. The Noble
Earl then moved a corresponding Address to the
Prince Regent, assuring him of the cordial concur-
rence of the House in measures to enable his Royal
Highness to make a proper and suitable provision
for the important occasion comunicated in his gra-
cious Message.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose to express his
cordial assent to the motion; and, at the same time,
to advert briefly to some considerations which he
thought not unconnected with the particular case be-
fore them. The Illustrious Personage in question, he
observed, had long been placed in a state of some
embarrassment ; and which was chiefly to be attri-
buted to the circumstance of the Parliamentary pro-
vision having been made for him considerably later'
in point of time than most of the other Illustrious
Personages so nearly allied to him ; the incurring of
some amount of debt was an unavoidable conse-
quence, and the arrangements made by the Illustrious
Personage with respect to the liquidation thereof, was
a consiirerattbn highly to his honour. He did not
suggest these circumstances with any view to an alter-
ation with respect to ti.e proposed arrangement in the
case of the Illustious Personage in question ; but he
thought, in candour, that the cause which led to his
embarrassed situation should be made known.

The Address was then unanimously voted by their
Lordships.