Star.
London, England, 1811-05-03 00:00:00

SITTING OF APRIL 3.

Read a dispatch from General Zayas, which stated 1
that he had completed the disembarkation, when he
received a letter from the Government, directing his
return, which he prepared to obey; that while making
dispositions for this purpose, he was attacked by the
enemy ; that the infantry suffered nothing, but the ,
cavalry considerably.
This dispatch was accompanied by another from
General Ballasteres, in which he stated that he had
protected the embarkation, by making a movement
upon Palma, &c. with one regiment of cavalry, and
three of infantry.
Senor MERALES roe Los Rios said it was very
strange, first, that these accounts should be written
confidentially, instead of efiria//y, when the subjects were
so serious ; and secondly, nat no estimates should
be made while the details were collecting, of our loss,
or of that of the enemy.
A Representation was read from various imprison-
ed inhabitants of San Carlos, requesting, that, as they
had been confined more than four months, they might
be set at liberty on bail until their trials were deter-
mined. The Committee proposed that this applica-
tion should be made known by the Regency to the
Judge of the cause, which was A pproved.
Several Members seized this occasion of speaking
against the abuse of detaining for so long a time in
custody persons who were not proved criminal, and
suggested some propositions on the subject, which
remain for discussion.

iiIRLMM.ENTARr PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY 2.
Part SPENCER stated to the House that it wu his interior
to clove that thew lAord*llipc go into a Committee on the Ken

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nue laws Bill next 'Tuesday.
Lord REDESDALI moved, that the Order on the Insolvent-
Debtors' Bill be discharged, end that the same be lied for this
day se'nuight.—Ordered.
Mr. Brougham, Mr. Babington, end others, from the House
of Comtuons, brought up the Slave Grade felony Bill, aud seve-
ral Private Bills, which were laid upon the table, and afterwards
read the first time.

It was oldereslthat iite Slave Trade Bill be printed.

l'he London Dock Bill passed through a Committees and was
reported without ary Amendment.

tERKELEY PEERAGE.

The Committee of Privileges assembled this day
about two o'clock, in pursuance of their last adjourn.
mein. the Judges were also in attendance. The Coua.
sel being called in, the Solicitor. General shortly ad-
dressed their Lordships on the nature of the question
last proposed to the Coonteu of Berkeley.
Her Ladyship was then ordered to be called in,
and presently she appeared,introduced by Earl Craven
End another Noble Peer, and took her seat as before,
upon a chair on the left hand side of their Lordships'
table.—The Socterrort.G EN ERA c resumed his cross.
examination of this Noble Lady, which lasted till five
o'clock.—Serjeant Bu t. afterwards proceeded to put
I several questions, for the purpose of explaining sere•
ral parts of her Ladyship's testimony.
I About half past fire her Ladyship retired, the whole
of her examination, with some parts of which her
Ladyship seemed much affected, Laing concluded.
It was ordered, that the further proceedings be post.
pond till to-morrow, at one o'clock.
iTbe Hot se yesterday kohl a •ery fall attet.dance, Including
sevelal of the Royal Dukes. *A
great crowd were also assembled
below iba Bar. So great was Me presstre on the last day Vw
subject was under d.ocussion, it has been conceived necessary • a
a!la a circular railing behind the Bar, thus enclusirg a 'Tao: r
the Council, mid in order to keep off the crowd and pressure .I
_ _

to turn upon those whom it had deceived, and take
away what it had originally given ? it was nothing
less than a new and absurd project for raising a tax
at the expence of a manifest injustice.
Sir J. NICHOL supported the motion, on the
ground that the exemption had been granted on a
assumption:false and he contended that all coals
conveyed into the River Severn, whether by a canal
or otherwise, ought to be considre as sea hornet
and of course, liable to the duties; particularly so
whorl it was considered that vessels going with coals
to Bristol and other places near the Severn, had to
cross the Channel for a considerable distance; and in
placcs where it coulia not be considered as a river.
Mr. WILBERFORCE said, this questi.on was as
interesting to the county which he had the honour to
represent, as to the counties of Monmouth and Gla-
morgan ; and he must set his face against an attempt
rh,it went to deprive people of rights that.vrere se-
cu:ed to them by positive Acts of Parliament. All
riva-borne coals in Yot kshire were exempt from duty.
Stich was the case in other parts of the kingdom ;
aLd why should such a privil'ge be taken away from
those passing through the Severn ? The Propt ietors
of this canal had expended one million sterling in
erecting it, and this they did on the (aid' of Parlia-
ment ; and were they now to be deprived of all the
advantages for which they had been induced to enter
into the undertaking ? The right of the parties was
as indubitable as any right could be established by an
Act of Parliament : and now it was proposed to shake
all the capital that had been expended on the work
in question. But the passing of such a Bill as was
new called for, would not be alone an injury to the.
Proprietors in question : it would lay down a princi-
ple that might shake all the property in the kingdom.
It would be a precedent that must unsettle all the
Ohts that had been established any where by Act
of Parliament.
Mr. ADAM said, the coal duties had existed long
b.zfore the passing of this Canal Bill; and that this Bill
had passed the House in a manner which was contrary
to the rules of the House. The exemption ought to
have been introduced in a Committee of the whole
}louse, as being a measure that related to public mo-
ney; and therefore the exemption was irregularly ob-
tiined. Besides, there were other parties whose in-
terests were as much at stake in this exemption as the
proprietors of the canal. He, therefore, conceived
that the taking away of this exemption was nothing
ore than a measure of justice.
The Honourable Mr. WARD acknowledged it to
an evil that this Company should enjoy the exem-
tion in question; but it would be a greater evil to
t Ike away from people a privilege, in virtue of which
they had expended their property. If Parliament
was now to take away the advantage it had granted,
it was bound to indemnify the parties for the loss they
should sustain.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw; but no
division wok place, and the motion was negatived.