Star.
London, England, 1819-05-01 00:00:00

SCOTCH BURGHS.

Mr. HUME presented a Petition from the Inhabi-
tants of Inverary, in Scotland, praying for a Reform
iri the Constitution of that Burgh, and of the other
Scotch Burghs generally. The Honourable Member
deprecated the erroneous idea that the people of
Scotland were not agreed in wishing for municipal
reform, whereas it was a fact, which could not be
questioned, that at least 8-10ths of the people of that
part of the empire were unanimous in calling for it.

GRAI‘IPOUND ELECTION.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved, that there be laid
before the House a return of the number of persons
convicted of bribery and corruption at the Gram-
pound Election.—Ordered.

ILLICIT DISTILIATIOL
General HART Toss, to move fur a Committee of
tau' whole House, to sake into consideration the State
of the Crown Land Roes in Ireland.

Mr. DAWSON' rose to support the Motion ; and
Was sorry to find that it was to be opposed by the
present Government of Ireland. He would venture
to affirm' that there was no subject more calculated
to excite the feelings of humanity than this ; and he
hoped that the Statute Book would be ionized of
many penal laws which clogged the administration
of justice in the two countries. The law imposed a
fine Of £2O for articles of illicit distillation on Town
Lands in Ireland. The extent of Town Lands in
Ireland varied, but 1000 acres might be taken as the
averige; and a man was liable to a fine, if a vessel
used for the-purposes of distillation should be fOund
in the space of two square yards. The mode of ad-
ministerinf the law was still worse than the law it-
self. In England, every thing was in favour of the
accused ; but in Ireland, should a flaw be found in
the Indictment, the whole of the proceedings might
commence de noro, and the informer was entitled
to one half the fine, levied in many cases not on
the guilty, but the innocent. The Revenue Officer,
who could be no witness by the law of England,
might give evidence in Ireland, and, upon con-_
viction, was entitled to one ball of the fine. A Still
was discovered in a small Island in Lough Gar;
and as the Island was not the property of any indi-
vidual, the six next adjacent Parishes were tined.—
A still had also been detected in an obscure corner
of some obscure suburb in Dublin, and the parishio-
ners had been fined, though totally ignorant of the
existence of the still. Should an empty cask be found
On the premises of any individual, he was liable to a
fine of £lO, or imprisonment for six months. In the
year 1810, the Operation of the Fine Laws had been
susper7ded ; and in 1812 many of them had been re-
pealed. But the old law had afterwards been re-
enacted, and not only with a prospective, but a re-
trospective operation ; in consequence of whYch, many
fines had been levied, that had in the first instance
been suspended, and subsequently repealed. Such a
procedure necessarily took away all confidence in the
Legislature. Should a similar step-be taken to put
down illicit distillation in Scotland, the Minister who
should authorise it, would not remain in office for six
months--(Hear, hear.)—The laws' of Alfred, that
had been cited in vindication of the fining system,
*as they made the .whole tithing liable for any injury
that had been committed within its precincts, ap-
plied only to a simple state of society, and sinti-
lar laws existed among the Germans and the Jews.—
But such laws were not applicable to a more refined
state of society'; and such had been the opinion uf.
Professor Millar and of Mr. Hume. That law of
Alfred referred to the maks in se, and not to the mala
prehibita, the class of crimes created by civil society.
Alfred had recorded in his will, that the English
should be as free as their own thoughts; and the same
privilege ought to be extended to Ireland, since the
two countries had beccime one kingdom. A fine had
been levied on certain town lands, in consequence
oftwo men being charged, though unjustly, with il-
licit distillation., Soon after, the real offender con-1
reseed his rant, and the Revenue Officer, of the name
bf i!itehinA, told the two individuals, that if they
in 'ban CSO, he would use his' interest with the

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