Star.
London, England, 1820-02-26 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

At half-past three o'clock the Senates took the Chair, after
which a few Members took tke oaths.
A person from the West India Dock Company brought up
an Account of the Receipts and application of Morley by that
Company, which was laid upon the table.
A person brought up an Account of the Resolutions passed in
the Court of Directors of the East India Company, which were
laid upon the table.
A person from the King's Reach Office, brought up certain
Returns, pursuant to order.
Mr. BROG DEN brought up the Report of the Committee
of Supply, when the Resolutions for voting seven millions, to
pay of F.schequer Bills, were passed.
Dr. PUILLIMORE moved that the Order of the Day for
the second reading of the Marriage Act Amendment Bill be read,
in order w its being discharged. 1k observed, that it was only
the premature dissolution of the present Parliament which pre-
vented him front endeavouring to catry, in the preseengzsion,
a measure so connected with the most important int and
the peace and happiness of families, and which had also received
the approbation of so great a pnitioa of that House. But he
pledged himself, that if he should have the honour of a scat in
the next Parliament, he would take the opportunity of ro-intro-
ducing the Bill early in the ensuing Sessioa.—The Bill was then
ordered to be read a second time that day six weeks.
A person from the Chamber of the City of London, brought
up an Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of the Or-
phans' Fund.
Mr. LIISHINGTON moved for an Abstract of the Net Re-
venue of Great Britain, and the produce of the Consolidated
Fund in the last year.—The Accounts were afterwards pre-
seined, and ordered to be printed.
A Message from the Lords brought down the Mutiny Bill,
the T.ocal Jurisdiction Bill, the Expiring 1..4w* Bill, the Indem-
nity Bid, the Irish Election Bill, ace. with their Lordships'
Amendments to the latter.

03:IPA:sat
waich.4e

at least it opptrared so by the eit.-peeic
which had been laid before him, and op
had taken the earliest 'opportunity of requestinsa
satisfactory explanation ; bat it was to be takeßlato,
consideration, that considerable delay must of neces-
',sky arise, on account of the difficulty of eonununica-
tion between the parent country and its colonies,
which could only take place at particular seasons.
We. Ilact,,no right to interfere with the criminal tri-
bunals of another country ; but every thing that
"could be done to obtain a fair and speedy trial for
British subjects, consistently with the regulations to
be observed in these cases, had been done. He had
no indisposition to give the Honourable Member an
opportunity of seeing the correspondence ; but as the
proceedings were yet incomplete, he must object to
the object of the motion, and would request him to
withdraw it, otherwise he should find it his duty to
move the previous question.
Mr. BROUGHAM agreed with the Noble Lord
that, in the present stage of the proceedings, such a
motion would be premature, and he would rather it
was withdrawn, than that the previous question
should be moved. The Honourable and Learned
Gentleman 'then took an opportunity of asking the
Noble Lord the result of the inquiries which had
been entered into last year, relative to the violence
committed by a Spanish frigate upon the Brunswick;
a Liverpool trader, which occasioned the death of a
Gentleman, of the name of Walker, who was then a
passenger in the latter vessel.? He concluded by ob-
serving, that it would be satisfactory to the country
to know-the result of the inquiry instituted upon that
occasion, as well as to the family of the unfortunate
Gentleman who had lost his life under circumstances
so distressing.
Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that he was happy
to have the opportunity of stating what had yet been
done in regard to that melancholy occurrence.—
Every effort had been made to obtain satisfaction.
The affair had happened in the Mediterranean, and
afterwards the vessel which had been injured touched
at Genoa, where depositions were taken, and trans-
mitted to his Majesty's Ministers. A representation
WAS thereupon made to the Court of Madrid, and the
strongest instructions were forwarded to our Ambas-
sador there. No investigation could, however, take
place until the frigate returned to Spain. It was the
wish of his Majesty's Ministers that a Court Martial
should sit upon the Officer ; and when the Honour-
able and Learned Gentleman had mentioned his in-
tention of bringing the subject into the House of
Commons, he (Lord Castlereagh) requested him to
await the result of the communication made to the
Court of Spain. He agreed to do so, and in a few
days after, an answer was receivecl from that Court,
couched in the most conciliating terms. By that an-
swer, it appeared that the frigate was on the look-
out for Insurgent privateers, and had, in the first in-
stance, mistaken the British vessel for one; but, how-
ever, as it appeared that the inquiry had not been
by Court Martial, but by the Marine Court at Cadiz,
and was entirely grounded upon ex parte evidence, a
dispatch had been sent to the 13ritish Ambassador to
that effect. The Court of Spain had agreed that a
Court Martial should take place, and the evidence of
the British witnesses was forwarded to Spain for that
purpose ; when the evidence should have arrived, the
matter would be satisfactorily investigated.
Mr. BROUGHAM, in explanation, said that the
vessel could scarcely be taken for an Insurgent one,
as the frigate had hailed her in the English language.
However, lie thought it not a decisive fact.
Lord CASTLEREAGH explained.
Mr. C. H. HUTCHINSON asked, if Captain
Clarke, of Dublin, whose case had been alluded to in
Sir stewart Bruce's letter, was still in prison ?
Lor4,CASTLEI{F.AGII said, he believed he ball
been liberated.
Mr. NRBES supported the motion, and said he,
knew of 'another outrage committed upon a vessel
that touched at Tenerife, bound to the Cape cf
Omni Hoye.
Mr. HOME said, that after the satisfactory assor-,
ance contained in the observations of the Noble Cord,'
that ally farther interference of his would be unne-
cessary, he should now withdraw his minion, reserv-
ing to himself; towever, .the right of renewing it, in
case that full and effectual redress shall not be ob-
tained, and in case 'hat he should have the honour
Of a seat in the next Parliament.