Star.
London, England, 1819-02-23 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COU3IOI4IS.

About twenty new Members took the oath and their seats.
A Person from the East India, Dock Coniliany brought up
the Annual Accounts of the
tabs
and Disbursemeuts of that
Company.—Laid on the Lila
Mr. HOLME SUMNER presented two Petitions from the
Parish of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, one for the Repeal
of the Insolvent Debtors' Act, and the other of the Coal Duty.
Laid en the table.

Mr. MANSFIELD presented a Petition from the Manufac-
turers of the Trade of Leicester against the Insolvent Debtors'
Act.—Laid on the table.

Lord GRENVILLE SOMERSET presented a Petition
from the Proprietors of Conleriestin the County of Monmouth,
praying that there should be no alteration in the Coal Duty.-.-
Laid on the table.

Mr. MADDOX presented a Petition from the Merchants of
the Borough of Boston, in Lincoloshtre, praying, not for the
Repeal of the Insolvent Dcbturs Act, the principle of which
they approved, but for the amendment of some of its provisions..
Laid on the table.

Mr. SHAW presented two Petitions, one from the House-
holders of Dublin, and the other from the Sheriffs and Com-
mons of the same City, praying for the unqualified repeal of the
Window Tax. The Petitions having been read, laid on the
Table, and ordered to be printed, the Honourable Member
gave notice, that he should move to-morrow for the production
of certain Papers relative to the Hearth Tax.
Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN presented a Petition from
Richard Carlile, Bodkaeller, complaining that he had been vexa-
tiously arrested and imprisoned for a fortnight on a warrant
from the Lord Chief-Justice Abbot, for certain publications, at
the time that an indictment bad also been laid aping him.—
He prayed for relief, and the repeal of the grievous law under
which he had suffered. On presenting this Petition, the Worthy
Alderman thought it necessary to state, that be knew nothing of
the parties or of the circumstances of the case; but the Petition
having been placed in his hand for the purpose of being sub-
mitted to the House, he had thought it his duty to comply.—
Read, and laid on the table. _

General HART presented a Petition from the Insolvent
Debtors of the County of Donegal, praying fUr relief.,-Laid
on the table.

A Petition was presented from certain Occupiers of Land in
the County of Suffolk
_praying for a Protection Duty against
Foreign Importation.-,—loid on the table.
A New Writ was ordered for the Borough of Clonmell, in
the room of the Right Hon. Itich.irti Bagwell, who, since his
election, has accepted the office of Steward of the Chiltern
Hundreds.

A Petition was presented from certain persons at Liver-
pool, against the Bill for the Recovery of Small Dehts.—Laid
on the table.

Mr. BENNET presented a Petition from the United Com-
panies of Grocers and Jewellers of Shrewsbury, against the In-
solvent Debtors' Act.—Laid on the table.

Mr. BATHURST brought up the Report of the Committee
on the Irish Election Petitions. The Report having been read,
the order for the consideration of the Petition against the re-
turn far the County of Cork was discharged, and a prolonga-
tion of time till this day se'nnight was allowed to the Peti-
tioners agairist the return from Drogheda to complete their
Recojnizances.
A Jlessage from the Peers informed the House that their Lord-
ships had agreed, without any amenantent, to the .E20,000„000
likehequer Bills BM.
On the. motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, the names of the defaulters in the late ballots were
called over, and certain days were axed for their attendance..

. CLIMBING BOYS.

Mr. BENNET having moved that the Chimney
Sweepers Bill be'read a third time, •
Sir JOSEPH YORKE rose to oppose the Motion.
It had long been a matter of doubtful curiosity which
was the greatest evil, a smoky chimney or a scolding
wife—(A laugh)—As the House was so full this
night, the question had a fair chance of being deci-
da. He claimed as much humanity as the Honour-
able Author of the Bill, and had it extended only
to protect children from ill-treatment would have
given it his support ; but he strongly objected to
giving up so ancient a trade entirely. If such Le-
gislators continued their present course, the Home
would soon be compelled to restrain their feelings
and legislate against the propagation of the human
species. With respect to machines, if they were
really effective, they would find their way without
the assistance of a Bill like the present; and when-
ever the•public should conceive it their interest, they
would use them instead of boys. He then conten-
ded, that in the opinion of several Fire-Offices them-
selves, machines were neither perfectly effectual nor
safe. Persons were required to go on the outside of
the roof's to assist in their operation, the tiles or slates
were broken or displaced, an opportunity was af-
forded fni stealing the lead off houses, and no sooner
had a chimney been swept, than it became necessary
to call in the bricklayer, glazier, and plumber, to
repair the damagec. He protested again t putting
so many boys in a situation to starve, or to do some-
thing worse, and concluded by moving that the Bill.
be read•this day three months. •
Mr. QMMANNEY seconded this Motion. He
possessed a paper, which chewed that instead of ap-
proving of the plan of machinery, as it had been
asserted, several Fire-Offices had entered into a sub-
scription, to the amount of I:120, for the purpose of
suppressing the present Bill. As 'to the children
themselves, they were not those of the poor, but of
the rich, begotten in an improper manner—(A
lamie, and hear, hear).
Mr. BENNET acinuwiedicd that it was true such

Mr WILSON admitted the correctness of the ex.
planation given by the Honourable Gentleman, of
the reasons for which the Fire Offices had entered
into a subscription ; but he ought to have added that
they considered the matter as an experiment extremely
dangerous to be tried.
Mr. BENNET owned that some indivilluals had
certainly given it as their opinion that the question
was one a risk; but it was equally true, that those
very persons had all declared that they had never
seen a machine work in their lives.
The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
PUBLIC CHAItITICS.
Mr. BROUGHAM having understood. that the
Right Honourable Member for Liverpool had given,
early in,theorth..n.sioae; *notice for Ole Noble Lord ope
posite, of his intention to twit* in a MI-t$ ettend
the power'granted by the Act of the last Session to
Commissioners appointed-to inquire • into the Abuses
of Public Schools and Charities, wished to know.
when the Motion was likely to take place?
Lord CASTLEREAGH answered, that his only
reason for delaying his Motion had been a wish that
the House should take the question into 'considera-
tion when the Report of the Commissioners appointed
last year should have been received. It was in such
a state of forwardness that it would probably be laid
before the House at the end of thepresent week, or '
the beginning of the next. The subject would then
be better understood.

Mr. BROUGHAM considered the information sa-
tisfactory. His reason for putting the question,was,
that his course should depend on that which the No-
ble Lord might take.