Star.
London, England, 1819-07-06 00:00:00

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she final consideration of their cases ; but that docu-
%fs,iw not being brought to the House, for which the
Gentleman who attended as Short-hand Writer, apo-
logized, the witnesses were ordered to attend again
to-morrow evening:
Two additional witnesses, named Wake and Stan-
bury, were then brought forward and examined with
respect to certain traqsactions at former Elections at
Barnstaple ; these of 1804 and 1806.
The further consideration of the ease was then ad-
journed till to-morrow.
The numerous Bills upon the table being then respectively
forwarded, the House, at Ten o'clock, Adjourned as above.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Mr. CALLY, from the Office of Public Accounts, presented
the Second General Report of the Conunissienen.—Ordered to
lie on the table.
Mr. P. MOORE presented a Petition from certain Prote-
stant Dissenters of Boston, praying that some provisions of the
Marriage Act might be repealed.—Read, and ordered to lie on
the table.
The House resolved itself into a Committee on Dunn's Di-
vorce Bill ; Counsel were heard, and witnesses examined.—The
Bill was then reported, read a third time, and passed.
On the motion of Sir IL. PARNELL, the Adjourned Fi-
nance Debate was postponed till Wednesday.
On the motion for postponing the Adjourned Debate on the
Store-Keeper-General's Bill,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (in answer to
a question by Mr. Primrose) stated that on the Revenue in the
last quarter, as compared with the same quarter in the preced-
ing year, there was, according to the final Returns, an increase
of £440,000. This increase was principally under the head of
Customs and Excise. Comparing the last quarter with the cor-
responding period in 1817, there was an increase of £1,540,000.
So far as it Was possible to state at present there Was every pro-
spect that the increase of the Revenue would be pr)gressive.
The debate was then postponed till Wednesday.
The Fisehequer Bills uarwas read a third time and passed.
The Irish Treasury Bills Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Report of the Irish Excise Licenses Bill was brought up,
the Bill re-committed, and the Report received and agreed to.
The Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-ntorrow.
On the motion for the third reading of the Appropriation Bill,
Mr. WYNNE, adverting to the inconvenience of an accumu-
lation of business at the end of the Session, suggested that it
would be proper next Session to pass a Standing Order to pre-
vent any new Bill from being introduced after a day to be fixed,
unleu on the Report of a Committee of the whale House.
In answer to a question by Mr. Peotaou,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated, that
the £s,oeopoo to be repaid to the Bank was the subject of a
distinct clause in the Bill.
The Rill seas then read a third time and passed.
BRIBERY AT GRASIPOUND.
The House then proceeded to the order of the day
for the Committee on the Grampound Bribery In-
dictments. The House having resolved itself into the
Committee, theffirst witness called was Welter Po-
meroy. On his being asked to state by whom a cer-
tain sum of money was paid, he refused to answer it,
as tending to crinainate himself.
Mr. WARREN thought the House had no right
to. call upon the witness to answer in such a case.
A discussion tbeu ensued between Mr. WYNNE, Sir
JASIES MACINTOSH, Mr. B. AIARTIN, Sir C. Bun-
Stet.L, Mr. LUSIIINGTON, Mr. TENNISON, Lord J.
RussaLL, and Mr..Couarzwar, as to the right of
the House to compel an answer in such cases. In the
end the right of the House seemed to be recognized.
on all sides, but it was resolved not to press the ques-
tion in the present instance.
Meddlicote was called to the bar, and under-
went an examination.—Joseph Child followed. He
peiisente.d a do'cument containing a statement of the
ys promised for the influence of tile Borough.
eras ordered to withdraw.
Mr.MARTIN, of Galway, objected to the receipt
of this document. His objections, however, were
over-ruled.
Joseph Child was recalled to the bar. The docu-
ment was read in his presence. It stated, that the
sum promised was 82001.; that 40001. had been re-
ceived ; and that consequently 42004 remained due.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY put several questions to the
witness relative to the engagement,-and was answered
in the affirmative.
The witness was ordered to withdraw.
Sir J. HAWKINS endeavoured to vindicate him-
self as a Candidate for the Borough.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE proposed that the Minutes of
Evidence should be reported. The House resumed.
Mr. P. MOORE brought up the Minutes of Evi-
dence. They were ordered to be printed, and to lie
on the table.
Lard JOHN RUSSELL then rose and said, with
respect to the case now before the House, as the
greater part of the evidence had long been printed,
and the remainder had just been heard by the House,
he had no difficulty in now submitting to the House
the two following Resolutions:-Ist. That it appears
to this House, that such a notorious system of cor-
ruption has prevailed in the Borough of Grampound,
as to call for the serious animadversion of this House.
2d. That this House will take the same into consi-
deration at an early period in the next Session of
Parliament. That a notorious system of corruption
had prevailed in the Borough of Grampound, must
be evident to every one ; indeed so strong a case was
hardly ever brought before Parliament. On this
subject it was therefore unnecessary for him to oc-
cupy the attention Of the House. But with regard to
the second Resolution, pledging the House to take
this case into their consideration early next Session,
,he had a few words to say. Since the period of the
Revolution, time had made in our Constitution-two
great innovations. In consequence of Parliament
having become so great a power, seats in this House
had become more valuable than before, and a much
greater degree of competition for these naturally
took place, and hence some of the smaller Boroughs
had become the seats of corruption. This fact had
been acknowledged by the House in three cases in
different periods of time, in which the House had
thought proper to establish as the principle, that the
notorious existence of such corruption was a suffi-
cient ground for their interference, and had endea-
voured to remedy the evil by extending the right of
voting to. the adjoining hundreds: The other inno-
vation was, that great cities and towns had since
grown up, in consequence of the extension of our
coarntrunerce and manufactures, which were not re.
presented, but which ought to be represented as well
as the other cities and towns that were represented'
before the Revolution. But the principle of admit-
ting the unrepresented large towns into a share of the
representation had not yet been adopted by the
House. What be should propose next Session, would
be founded on the two principles to which he had al-
luded, namely, cleat of destroying corruption in the
Boroughs in whickitt,ecistad, and giving the right of
voting taJien from thetas to other bodies of men, who
poseeeeed such a stake in the country as to entitle