Star.
London, England, 1826-11-29 00:00:00

MILITARY PROMOTIONS.

Commbsion lb the Kirkcudbright Corps of Gentlemen Yeomanry
Cavalry. signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry of
Kirkcudbright.
Alexander Murray► Seq. to be Major, vice Martin, deceased.

Paperifrom St. Petersburgh to .the 12th, and from
Holland to the 26th instant, were received last night.
As a compensation for the dangers which Prince Max•
emirs bad incurred dining his late embassy to Persia,
the Emperor NICHOLAS has bestowed upon him the
Order of St. Andrew, in diamonds. The three standards
taken from the Persians at the battle of the 25th of
September, bad been carried in triumph through the
streets of St. Petersburgh between two detachments of
Horse Guards, and with the s"und of trumpets. Two
of these were white, with a rising Sun and a Lion
cquchant. The other was red, and displayed a golden
Linn bearing a naked Sword. The staff was terminated
by an open right hand, silvered. These Papers also
state that the trade of the Russian empire was increasing
in. every quarter.—The Dutch. Journals aperely con-
tradict the reported insurrections in the Molucca island.

Mr. Tmantrr, from the Tax Once, presented Returns respecting.
the Assessed Tases, which were ordered to be printed.
Mr. Mayas, frown the Treasury. presented an Account of the
tote number of Bank of England Notes, of bye pounds, in circula-
tkin.—Ordered to be printed.
Alderman WOOD presented a Petition from IYilUant Cobbett,,
coMplaking of an undue return having been made for the Borough
of Preston.—lteceived, and ordered to be taken into consideration

on Tuesday, the 9th of January neat, at three o'clock r.x.
An Hon. Mimes presented aPetition from Colonel ---- against
the Return made for Stirling.—Ordered for consideration on the
nth of January, at half-put three r. at.
A Petition was also presented from Mr. Crow, complaining of
an undue Return for Berwick-upon-Tireed, which was also ordered
to be taken into consideration on Tnesday, the 9th of January inst.
Several Private Petitions were presented, praying lot cave to
bring in Bills for various Improvements.
Mr. Alderman WOOD said, be bad to present a Ntititte' from,
an individual named James White, Who was a freeholder In'Orsora-
sidre, and appeared there to be most beneficially active in eudea..
veering to add to the comforts and to
-preserve the rights of the .
poor. He'considered the Petition to be well worthy of the atten-
tion of the House. He had Lilt Session presented a similar Petition
from the acme individual, and he had then the good fortune to And
himself lupported by the !tight Hon. the Chancellor of the Bache-
quer. The Petition prayed, that in all future Acts of Parliament
respecting Roads and Enclosures, that a clause should be introduced
providing that Foot-paths should be made for the accommodation
of the public. Of course the poorer dames were those who were-
' the most likely to be benefitted by such a regulation, and most on.
doubtedly to them it would be of great advantage. He trusted,
therefore, that the Petition he held in his hand would not only be
received by the House, but that the Country Gentlemen especially
would bear ha prayer in mind, and render the assistance applied for.
—Tbi Petition was then received, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Alderman WOOD then moved fora Return of the number
of Barrels of Strong, Small, and Intermediate Beer, chargeable
with the Excise Duty, which had been brewed between Ju1y,18126.
and January 5, 1827. Alai) for a Return of the quantity of the
damn* kinds of Beer which had been exported between the
same periods. Also fur a Return of the number of Brewers ; and
a Return of the quantity of Malt which had paid duty. during the .
sane time.

Mr. HERRIES said, that be could have no oil-teflon-to seeing
any accounts furnished which would affoid the House information,
and also that be should be happy to assist the lion. Alfieri:tun in
procuring those whisk he now required. lie must, however,
oppose the motion as k then stood, because it would call for ac-
counts which could not possibly be produced. The accounts
moved for were to be up to the sth of January next, and such a
, modem U adopted by the House, could not of course bE complied
with at present. He therefore suggested the propriety of its being
amended, and assured the worthy Alderman, that were is wish.
drawn altogether he (Mr. Herrin) would take care that the re.
paired returns should be forthcoming as soon as poestbie..—ModOn
withdrawn.
Mr. MONCRIEF presented a Petition from the Proenet and
Council of Glasgow, praying for • repeal of the Corn laws.
Mr. DUODA Li presented a Petition from the Directors of the
Chamber of Commerce of Birmingham, praying ter a revision of
the Corn Laws; and that they might be made more compatible with
the general interests of the country than they then were:
Colonel TOLtItENS presented a Petition from the Shipwrights
of North Shields, complaining that the Corn Laws were partial,
and oppressive. The Petitioners believed that they were nut only
injurious to themselves, but that they operated as a tax upon bread,
and that they took money from the pockets of the community solely
for the benefit of the landlords. He must however state that be
did not agree with that opinion, although he thought, that muck
alteration should be made ih the laws alluded to. He also pre-
set.ted a Petition from the Inhabitants of Ripley, near Bradford,
YYoekshire, praying for a repeal of the Corn Laws.—Ordered to
prided.
Mr. HUME presented a Petition from the Guild of Arbroath,
praying for, a repeal of the Corn Laws.—Abe a similar PetitMo
from the Inhabitants of Newark, who attributed the distresses of
the country to excessive Taxation and Corn Laws.
ARIGNA MINING AIINOCIATION.

Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN said, he held in his
hand a Petition, which was important to the individual
who had requested him to present it ; was important to
the country at large, but still more important to` the
House which he had then the honour of addressing, The
Petition was from an individual named Roger Flattery,
who complained that he had suffered considerable loss
through the misconduct of the Directors of the Atigb*
Mining Association. He stated that he had sold lib;

interest in certain property for the sum of ten thoirrand
pounds, nod not twenty•fivelhousand pounds, although
the Company had been charged 25,0001. for what die
Petitioner bad only received•ten thousand pounds. He
prayed that the House would take his case into its con-
sideration, and- also that it would ilkittiri'into-the ire
duct of certain of iti Hon. Members who had been
ctmierned in tbri- trantaCtion. Such was the tenor of

the Peition ; and he (Algterman Waithman) gave notice
that he should, some day nett, week„move for the op-
pbintrtletit of a Committee to inquire, not only into the
conduct of the Honourable Members who had been
conrieeted with the Arigni Mining Associ.tion, but also
into the conduct of those who had been at all connected
with any of the hubbies of the day. He trusted that
he had thus far kept to the promise which he had made
with respect to the conduct :of one Hon. Membev in
particular. If that Hon. Gentleman were not put for-
ward to again 611 the office which he. had It'd:last
Parliament, he (AldernsanWaithman) should do nothing
further respecting him ; but he was firmly of ,opinion,
that the H.iwe would only consult its own hpnour, re-
putation, and dignity, by investigating the conduct of
such Hon. Gentlemen as' had lent themselves to for-
warding the views Jr unprincipled speculators. .He felt
it right to state to the Home, that he was altogether
unacquainted, prior to that evening,with the individual
who bad requested him to present the Petition he then held in his
band ; and also that he had not bad any communication whatever
Stith the petitioning putt' previous to his receiving the Petition.
He theq moved that the Petition be read, which being agreed
to, the Clerk proceeded to read it. It stated that the Petitioner
bad read, in certain newspapers. an account of the proceedings of
that Hon. House on Tuesday last, in which it win stated, that
he had received a certain sum for certain mines, which was in-
correct. It prayed for inquiries into the 'conduct of certain
Members of that Hon. House, who had been connected with
the Arigna Mining Association; and was proceeding to crew by

affidavit—when
Mr. C. W. W YNN remarked. that it was altogether contrary to the
practice of that House to receive affidavits ; and with respect to the
report of the proceedings— ' •
The SPEAKER said that it must, he thought, be quite
evident to every Hon.. Member in the House, that the
Petition, which had been pattly read, wasone that could
riot be received. In the first place it -charged some
Members without the -slightest notice with having com-
mitted some impropriety, and thus it affixed a kind of
stigma on the whole House, without affording the means
of deciding who were the Members. whose -conduct
was impugned. In the nest place the Petitioner pro-
fessed to derive his knowledge of what transpired in that
House, from a source, the legality of which could not
for an instant be allowed—a report of its proceedings
—(hear, hear !) —that was unquestionably a breach of
privilege, and therefore a decided objection to the Peti.
tion being received. Again—affidavits it appeared were
introduced in the Petition, which as a Right Hon.
Gentleman had remarked, was altogether irregular. It
Was true that they were embodied in, and net appended
to, the Petition, but that fact would not render them admissible.—
It was against the principle on which the House had hitherto acted.
From these considerations, therefore, be would recommend the
Hun. Member for London to withdriw the Petition. It might,
if the party wished it, be amended, and in a more correct shape be
hiought under the consideration of the Houao—(Hear).
_ Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN would certainly not
wish to press any Petition at all irregular. • There was,
however, one remark, witich he wished to make before
he withdrew the one then before the" House. Thelie-
titioner prayed for an inquiry into the conduct of the particular
Metnbert who had been connected with the Arline Mining Asso-
ciation, and therefore he apprehended that little difficulty would
occur in finding out the Hon. Gentlemen who were lauded to.—
Petition withdrawn.
Mr. W. HARVEY Nave notice that ho'should on Friday next
move for a return of the number of causes which bad hien tried in
the different Courts Of Laid during the last year; - •
' Mr. 113ENETT, oti presenting a Petition from Market Laying-
ton, praying for the Abolition of Slavtry, expressed his hope that the
friends of humanity would not relax in their tndeasours, but that
they would cover the table of the House with their appeals.
Mr. 111 A BERLY gave notice that he would on that day se'nnight
move for an Account of the Exports and Imports from and to the
United Kingdoms during the pint year; also, that the number and•
value of the Bank of England notes in circulation should be regu-
larly published.
Mr. SPRING RICE gave notice that be would, shortly after
the holidays, bring forward a • motion respecting the Irish Go-
vernment. _ _

• Mr. Aklerman THOMPSON mored for &return of the amount
of duty-paid on Sea Policies, distinguishing the different offices,re-
ceived'during the years 1825 and 1826.
MITA= Mt ocessurmas.
Mr. LITTLETON said, that it would be in the re-
collection of most of the Hon. Members, that the House
had adopted resolutions, which constituted Committees
rf Appeal from the common Committees upon Private,
Bills. It was his intention to propose the adoption of
the same resolutions by the present House. He would
not at present move that they should be made Stand-
ing Orders, but merely place them as resolutions of the
House, in order that the .experiment should be tried
respecting them, and that if found useful, they should
then be incorporated with the Standing Orders. As
there were several new Members in the House, who
could not be fully aware of the nature of the subject,
he thought it would be right to give a brief explanation
of the causes which had influenced him and other Hon.
Members to concur in bringing forward those' resolu-
titins. Both he and they were. convinced of the im-
portance and necessity of providing a remedy for those
offences which were committed, and were more fre-
quently said to be committed, by Members when they
mere supposed to be placed upon Committees, where
either they, themselves, or their friends, were in any
degree interested. To say that that was the case gene-
rally, or that on that account Committees had come:
to unjust decisions, was unfounded ; still, however, that
idea was imps essed upon the public, and often by those
who had least right to do so. He had known several
cases which were very bad, brought before them, and
the_ Committees had decided accordingly, and still
tbne who had failed in their bad speculations, by the
decision of the Committees, were those who spoke
hardest of them. The same thing was also done by
professional persons, who prided themselves on their
skill in carrying measures through, but whose skill bad
been based by the exe: tions of Committees. He should,
however, still confess that there were several cases where
Members on Committees had suffered themselves to be
swayed by private motives, and to be warped front U..
storght lice of their duty. It was his object, therefore,
t►at the House should take care to prevent such a course
from being pursued in future. From their nature, private
Consilium had very consickrable power over,private
interests, and more especially the transfer of. krivate
property. Af er a Bill was once referred to a Com-
mittee, it had a power over property, very similar, and
nearly as gr eat, as the Courts of Law, and he SAW no rea-
son why the House should not take the same means of
to that power executed correctly. For those reasons,
Ned ss ith the concurrence of very high authorities, he
had prepared tree resolutions. The Hon. Member then
went into the detail of the resolutions, and said, that by
thcir adoption, there would be nothing done %hie

•
could at all interfere with the ordinary regulations of
the House, but, on the contrary, give them efficacy and
stability, and he was sure, that there was no Member
oC the House, who was of opinion that. the House should
not form some resolution on the subject. There were
two extremes which might bk urged in opposition to
the course so proposed, and both of which he thought
would be avoideld by adopting it. ale was. that there
should be a Select Committee upon each Frigateßill
which was brought forward, and that the attendance of
Members who *ere appointed should be imperative.
From that he dissented, because it was evident that the
engagements of professional men, and of the mercantile
Members-et the House, exclusive of the age of others,
oula twke such a regulation'most inconvenient, and
would present such obstacles, that the House could not
sanction it. Another otlection urged was,. is Let things
remain as they are, and• wherever, in any individual
instance, wrong is done, let'it be noticed by the House,
and measures adopted accordingly." That was the
same kind of language he bad heard used since he en•
tered into the House, and instead of a decrease of the
improper practices complained of, they continued every
day to become more numerous. But when, as, accord-
ing. to the plan which he meant to propose, there existed
a right of appeal, Members would more carefully
_weigh the evidence laid before them, and be more cau-
tious as to the Totes they gave. further, he conceived,
that to the Members personally the -greatest possible
convenience would arise from the plan he contemplated.
There should, he thought, be no injury that did not
admit of redress, and a Committee sitting on a Private
Bill should be as nearly assimilated to the impartiality
of a Jury as the House cotold possibly effect. If all
were done that to his mind seemed practicable in the
matter, he felt assured that no one, having just grounds
of complaint, would decline to avail himself of the re-
medies which it was proposed to put within the reach
of every wan in the country. The lists, .at they now
stood, could not possibly give satisfaction ; but he
trusted that his resolutions would. Shure the attendance
and assistance of Members possessing adequate loosl
knowledge, and also a sufficient number, whose impar-
tiality would net be called in question: He then con-
cluded by moving his resolutions, reading the first part,
which was as follows:

" That the present distribution of Counties in the several Lists,
for the purpose of forming Committees on Petitions for Private
Bills, and oo Private. Bills, prepared under the direction of the
Speaker some years ago, has, from the great inequality of the
numbers of Members contained in suck Lists respectively, and
from other causes, been found not to answer the object for which
it was. framed."

Mr. YATES PEEL seconded the motion. He con-
scientiously believed that any change in the mode of
conducting the private business would be much better
than allowing it to be conducted as it had hitherto been.
It had been said, in answer to a complaint, that Mem-
bers frequently flocked into the room of e Committee on
a Private Bill merely to vote, that the Petition on which
the Bill *as founded was a Petition to the House, and
therefore that all the Members. of the House were

entitled to vote upon the subject. But there was this
difference ; that in the House the Members voted on
arguments; in the Committees they Voted on evidence.
Members who thils attended Committees to vote that
the preambles of Private Billshad been proved, did not
vote after long arguments, or long speeches without any
argument, but they voted .without having heard one
word of the evidence. It would be well to pass these
Resolutions, if it were only as an experiment. If it
should succeed, let the Resolutions be adopted ; if it
should partially fail. let the Resolutions beamended r
if it should wholly fail, let them be discarded entirely.
Colonel DAVIES admitted that great inconvenience
arose from the former course with. respect to Priliatc
Bills, bat that now proposed irobld, be thought be
much worse, and therefore he would give it all the op-
position in his power. First, with respect to the 120
Members to be on a Committee, he thought it would be
extremely difficult to have that number, unless (and it
there west many Committees this must be the case)
they resorted to the former objectionable course of
having many Members named on Committees sitting
at the same time. Last Session there were SO Commit-
tees on Private Bills sitting at the same time. How
could such a number be now provided for in the mode
proposed? The Hon. Member (Mr. Littleton) seemed
to think that it would be e;treasely difficult to get
a Select Committee on each Private Bill. Now to
him it appeared that the difficulty would not be,
very gieat. They had frequently a great many
Election Committees, and 'they found very little.
difficulty in securing the attendance of Members.—
But it appeared that according to the Hon. Member's
resolutioos, a person dissatisfied with the decision of a
private Committee might appeal, and Hooke had
no discretion but to send it to a Select Committee, so
that they were to have a Select Conimittee after all.,
It was said, that to prevent vexatious appeals, ' the
person appealing should, in the first instance. deposit
5001. to secure costs, should the Committee decide the
appeal to be vexatious. This he thought was a course
which the Home had no right to adopt, I 4 was, in effect, taxing
the appellants to that extent, and if, as had bees contended on a for.
met evening br a Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. C. W. Winn), the
House had no power to compel a Petitioner to enter into recojgni.
sancta, bow colsid they compel him to deposit money. On the
whole, while he admitted thitt nothing called more loudly for re.
medy than the present course, with respect to Private till Cmeinit.
tees, still he could not support that now proposed, as be thought it
would be worse than the disease.

Mr. MABERLY said, that no man could entertain a
doubt that some remedy was necessary, and the only
question seemed to be, did those resolutions offer the
best remedy. ?* He did not think they did, for the snbsti-
itition of Select Committees in the place of the Com-
mittees upon Private Bills as now appointed, would, in
his estimation, be far preferable. 1 here was some in-
consistency in the censures which had been passed on
Gentlemen voting upon Committees without havini
heard the evidence, when it was known to every one
that whole shoals of Members came down to vote
on the conclusion of every important debate, without
having heard one word of the argument. He preferred a Select
Committee to the kind of Committee contemplated by these reso-
lutions, if it were only because the former gave a better chance of
the Howse admitting an appeal to itself, which he thought better
than any other appeal.
Lord ALTHORP thought that Select Committees
would be an improvement upon the existing system,
although he, upon the whole, preferred the plan pro-
posed by the resolutions before the House. He thought
there would be some difficulty in forming so great a
number of Select Committees as would be required
every Session for Private Bills. England was now di-
vided into districts, and when he, as Member for NJrth-

ampton, moved that any local bill should be referred
to a Committee consisting of the Members for that place,
and the Members for the adjoining counties, it was per.
fectly well known of what individuals the Committee
would consist. The proposal of taking sixty Members
from the adjoining counties, and+isty from other part*

•
PafEngland, he thought very cAsiderable improve-
usent. For instance, in the case of a projected canaltit
might probably be intended to run through all the
counties whose Members were to be upon the Commit.
tee,'as at present constituted.. But by taking Members
from other parts of England, greater impartiality would
be secured. With respectttp the proposed deposit with the Clerk
of the Fees in case of appeal, he saw ao difficulty or objection. He
did not support the Resolutions as uoubjectAcmable sr anal, but he
thought something ougbt to be tried.

Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN said, as *it was gene-
rally admitted that great abuses prevailed in the ap-
intment and conduct of private Committees, he felt
obliged to the Hon. Gentleman for his attempt at cor-
recting them by the present Resolutions, though he
believed they were likely to MI far short of a perfect
remedy in the case. The Resolutions, if adopted, would
be a strong instance of the House voting a censure on
itself, because they admitted bow gross and scandal-
ous some of the proceedings under Committees sit-
ting beneath its sanction had been. In saying thus
much, he knew that he did not exceed the limits
within which he was bound to restrain his observa-
tions, so far as the present Parliament was concerned ;
but as he was not equally restricted with regard to
the past, he would touch lightly on the living, but
speak strongly of the dead ; and he had to com-
plain of the wrong which he in his own person, and
which those with whom he acted had received. A
petition was presented from the Corporation of London
against a Bill which bad been last year before the House,
praying to have that Bill (the Equitable Loan Bill) re.
famed to a Commitree ; and also for permission to allow
the Corporation by their Counsel or agents, to be heard
against it at the bar. It was at first said that the Cor-
poration, though representing all the trade of the City
of London, did not represent any particular interest,
but that plea was subsequently given up. Indeed, the
House could not fail to .recollect the precedent of 1736,
where an investigation similarly called for took place,
and from the result of which several Members of the
House, who loudly complained of calumny, and chal-
lenged inquiry, were compelled to give up their seats,
and retire with public disgrace. Though the Com-
mittee consented to hear Counsel in favour of the
Bill he alluded to, it was not. without great difficulty
that it could be prevailed on to listen to Counsel against ,
it:- He afterwards demanded to be heard as an agent
of the Corporation, but the grounds of favour, not of
right, on which it was agreed to hear him, he declined
to recognise. It was then intimated to him that .he
would be heard as a favour, not as a right. He said
that he had not been allowed to open the case, and
hoped the Committee 'would, see the injustice of bting-
ing forward witnesses who would be allowed to give
evidence only as a matter of favour, and consequently
protested against the injustice of the proceedings. He
would net be crippled in the course which he Attended
to pursue, and would either be allowed the right of
going into the whole affair, or he would not enter
into it at all. When the House recollected the
jobbing and the tricks of those Companies—when they
recollected that many of the Members were Directors,
and either held shares, or had sold their shares and pot
the money in their pockets—they would soon becon-
Vinced what an opening there was for unjust and illegal
proceedings. In the ComMittee to which he alluded,
practices of this description were carried on, and he
would pledge his life, his character, and reputation, to
prove this, if he should not be prevented, before the
House of Commons. Some of the members of that
Committee held shares, and then had sold out.—(Cries
of order.) The'subject was most important to the
public, and he would not have alluded to it at that
moment, had he not conceived that he was perfectly
in order, and performing his duty. The object of
the House at that moment was to provide a remedy
for evils which existed in these private Committees,
whose conduct, in many instances, was most dis-
graceful, and surely it was net disorderly to point out
the causes which produced them. The, remedy pro-
posed was, that an appeal should be made to another
tribunal. In order to obtain the right, the complaining
patty must deposit 5001. as a security against vexatious
and frivolous appeals, and this probably after they bad
spent 5,00 W. in defending their rights. This he en-
tirely disapproved of. The House must art of an go to the root
of the evil. They must appoint Committees as Juries are apphinted,
free of ail party bias or interest in the question. He hoped that a
remedy would be provided, add one much more effectual than the
resolutions of the Hon. Gentleman were likely to produce.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, that taking into cOnsi-
'deration all.the circumstances of the question, he should

certainly vote for the Resolutions as 'an experimental
measure. He confessed that he did not give his vote
with such an entire conviction that the late House of
Commons had conducted itself upon the subject so im-
properly as the Honourable Member (Mr. Waithman)
bad asserted. Committees had certainly been appointed,
in which the opinions of those who had duly attended
'to all the duties of the Committees had been overruled
by those who had 'not atteoded to their duties, and it
Was quite proper that a remedy should be created
against such aq abuse. He had frequently attended to
these subjects in the last Parliament, and if the late
House bad been the mass of corruption which the Hon.
,Member for London had described, be musthave heard
of some instances of great injustice done with teferente
to private property, but no such Cases had come within
his knowledge. He gave his vote with reference to fu-
ture abuses, and not from any conviction of improper
proceedings in the last Parrliament. With respect
to the license of reprobation which the Honourable
Member had given himself-against the last Pediment,
because it was now dead, he (Mr. Secretary Peel)
begged the Honourable Member to consider, that the
individuals who had composed that Parliament were not
dead, and it was natural that they should be alive to its
reputation. He objected to the principle of selecting
the Members from the County out of which the business
arose, and from the adjoining Counties, for it made the
number of names depend, not upon .the importance or
nature of the business for which they were selected, but
*poi the mere localiiy of the County. He had takers
the trouble to ascertain the number of Members to
whom Private Bi} would be referred, accordinir
as they arose out of the different Counties. A Pri-
vate Bill .arising out of the County of Derby, al-
though a County of great importance, and Involving
numerous interests, would be referred to 80 Mem-
bers ; a Private bill from Warwick Would be' referred
, to 87 ; from Leicester 69; from Staffordshire; a most
important Colony, combining great agricultural- and
manufacturing interests, only 66. There had been a
case in the last Session of the last Parliament, in which
a proposition relative to a Canal in Staffordshire had
been refereed, in ,the usual count, w the Members of
that Comity, and, to •the Counties adjoining i and it
happened that every one df "these' .Membei-s. was a
Defector, or person Ally concerneJ with the Canal, In

Devonshire, the, number of Members vrcrtld be WS;
Wiltshire, 194; Hants, 234. There would be four tinter
as many Members to decide a Private Bill aria ins out of
Hampshire, as to determine one which might arise out
of Staffordshire. This alone was a sufficient reason for
adopting some arrangement_ that would give a greater
Equality of votes, and-ensure a more rigid iMpartiality
upon such occasions. He would, therefore, adopt the
first three Resolutions without difficulty. It oculJ be
impossible, in the first Session of a Parliament, to
adopt the principles upon which• Election Committees
were apprinied: Let u be supposed, for instance, that
ten Election Committees, and ten or twenty Private
Bills Committees, were to be formed at the same time.

---
It would be better to afford the corrective of an appeali
than that of a Select Committee. He did not think that local in.
terests ought entirely to be excluded from Committees on Neale
Bills. Of the 120 Members that should form the list, about sixty
ought to be of local interest and connection with the subject. He
believed the best corrective of the abuses complained of, would hn
letting in the light of day upon them.
After a few remarks from one or two Members, the first Benda.
lion, for which see conclusion of Mr. Larrcermes speech, was put
front the Chair and agreed to.
The second Resolution was then read from the Chair, and was
as follows :

I

" That with a •iew more nearly to equalize numbers, and to cot.
rect too strong a prevalence of local Interests on Committees on Pd.
rate Bills, it is expedient that a new distribution of counties should
be.made, containing, in each list, as nearly as may be, 1 ZO dlemben,
one half only, or thereabouts, to be taken from the county immedi-
ately connected with the object of the Bill, and the adjoining court.
ties ; and the other half from other more distant counties of Great
Britain and Ireland; and that the klemben serving for such conse
ties, and the places within such counties should oonsitute the Cons.
Nikki on each Bill."

After an observation from Mr. MAMMY and a Member whose
name we did not know, the Resolution was agreed to.

The SPEAKER having put the Sd Resolution,
"That Mr. Speaker be requested to direct a new distributko ot
counties to be prepared at the commencement of each &aka, in
such manner as shall be approved of by hint conformably to the
principle of the foregoing Resolution."
Mr. C. W. WYNN suggested the propriety of omitting the
clause " at the commencement of each Session."

Mr. LITTLETON concurred in the omission.—Agreed to.
The 4th Resolution was then put and agreed to It was as
follows t

That every Committee on a Private Bill be required to report
to the House the Bill referred to it, with the evidence and minutes
of the proceedings."
The SPEAKER read the sth Resolution, to the fol.
lowing effect :
" That a Committee be appointed at the commencement of every
Session of Parliament, to be called The Committee of Appeals
upon Private Bills; *Mils Committee shall consist of ill the Knights
of the Shire, all the Members for Cities, and such other Mombeis
as may be named therein ; so that the whole number appointed to
serve on such Committee shall amount to 200 at least."
It was agreed to, with the omission of the same clause as iTI the
54 Resolution.

After an observation from Mr. Hut u, the 6th Rem.
lotion, which was as follows, was agreed to:
" That where any party interested in a Private Bill, who shall
have appeared in support of his petition, by himself, his Counsel,
or Agent, in the Committee upon such Bill, or where the ptomoters
of a Private Bill shall be dissatisfied with any vote of the Commit.
tee upon such Bin, and shall petition the House, setting forth the
particular vote or votes objected to, and praying that they may be
,beard by themselves, their Counsel, or Agent, against such vote or
votes, such Petition shall, together with the Report of the Com-
mittee upon the Bill, and the minutes and evidence taken before
such Committee, be referred to a Select Committee of Seven Mem-
bers of the Heise, to be chosen by ballot from the Committee of
Appeals upon Priyate Bills, which Select Committee shall hear the
arguments of the parties complaining of, and also of the parties sup.,
potting such vote or votes, and shall report their opinion thereon
to the House."

-The 7th Resolution was then put :
" That whenever a petition shall be presented, complaining 'of
any vote of a Committee upon a Private 11111, the House shall ha a:
day whereon to ballot for a Select Committee, to which such peti-
tion shill be 'referred; upon which day, at a quarter past. four
o'clock, or as near thereto es the question which may be then before.
the House will permit the Speaker shall order the doors Of, the
House to be locked, and the names of the Members composing the
Committee of Appeals upon Private Bills being written upon sepa-
rate pieces of paper, add put into the glass, the Clerk shall draw
therefrom the names, until Seven Members of such Committee
who shall be then present, and who shall not have voted in the
Consinittee upon the Private Ball ti Which the Petition refers, shell
have answered to their names; which Seven Members shall be
the Select Committee to whom tuck petition shall be referred,
and such Select Committee shall steel for business the fOliiiwing
day at eleven o'clock, •and continue to sit, to die iw diem, until they
shall have reported upon the same, and thit'only one Counsel or
Agent shall he heard in support of the petition of any one party."
Mr. CALCRA FT asked, what course would be pursued, in the
mete one or more Members of the Committee being absent
through sickness?
A desultory conversation ensued an this subject, in she course of
which an Honourable Member having pressed the inquiry further,
and demanded what was to be done in the event of the death of a
Member of the Committee?
Another Hon. Member replied, °such a casualty was rendered
impossible by the terms of the neat Resolution (the tab which
provided " That no Member of such Select Committee shall absent
himself therefrom.during its sitting." (Laughter).
The sth Resolution (as above) was the° put and agreed to.-
On the Resolution, " That the party applying should deposit the
sum of £5OO with the Clerk of the Fees, in order to cover costs."
.Mr.G.LAM B wished the Resolution to be postponed,
as he believed there were many Gentlemen, not now in
the House, particularly averse wit. He feared it Would
become a source of inconvenience, if not of unpleasant
litigation, in which the dignity and authority of the House might be
called in question in a Court of Law. He thought for many reasons
that this Resolution had better be withdrawn for the present.
After a few observation from Mr. W. Wroxind Mr. Secretary
Pm,
'Mr. Lerssrrow agreed to postpone the Resolution, and refer it
to a eminmittee.
The committee was then appointed.
IT.

•
'AGE.
On the niotion of Mr. Helms, the House, then resolved' 104
into i Committee on the St. Ddmingu.Postage.
Mr. HERRIES said, that 'his object was merely to
obtain the stnction of the Legislature to certain regula-
tions which it had been found necessary to adopt, in
consequence of the altered gate of commercial relations
in America.
Mr..HUME inquired if it was not possible to intro-
dime i clause to remedy a defect in the law for the
transmission of Newspapers to the Colonies. According
to the Act of Parliament, Newspapers must be put into
the Post-office on the very day of their publication, or
they were charged the full postage by weight. He
thought a charge of three halfpence only. ought to at-
tach upon the conveyance of Newspapers of whatever
date. Nothing was more desirable than to maintain
free communication of ideas between every part of the
empire. The example of the United States in this respect ws*
well worthy of imitation. Not only newspapers, but pampilicts
and other periodical publication, were conveyed at a very small
expense. As our packets were vessels of 200 to 250 tons, the weight
of newspapers weld be of no consequence.
Mr. HERRIES thooght that this suggestion might
be snore properly made when the Bill was before the lieu"'
There was nothing in,tise ?resent measure tending in any degree to
strengthen the law of which the Hon. Gentleman complained.
Atter a few words front Mr. Huns and Mr. &swum, the Risco
lotion fixing certain Rates of Postage was put and carried. .*
The House then resumed, and the Report was tattered to be
received to-morrow.

------- --------
Coax unsagnirm
The Indemnity Bill, for the Order in Council, permitting the
Importation of Foreign Corn,was then brought in by Mr. Haws&
Read 4 first time, and ordered to be read a second time to•morlew•
Mr.sliumst gave notice of his intention to move for Copies 01 the
Correspondence between Col. Bird and the Commissioners of SP'
quiry at the Cape of Good Hope.--.Ansouassis.

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