Star.
London, England, 1817-03-05 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Sir J. CHETWOPE presented a Petition for Par-
liamentary Reform from Newcastle-under-Lyne.
General GROSVENOR presented t Petition,
signed by the Mayor, Aldermen, and a number of
respectable Freemen of the City of Chester, express.
ing their wishes to strengthen the, hands of G ,vern-
meet at the present crisis. He had received :mother
Petition from the saute place, praying for the Sus-
pension of the Habeas Corpus Act, which he stated
to be numerously signed, but
The SPEAKER intimated that the Honourable
Member was not at liberty to speak about the latter
Petition, as he could not present it.
Sir JQHN GREY EGERTON confirmed the
statement of ,the preceding Speaker respecting the
respectability of the signatures of the Petitin for
strengthening the hands of the Executive. The
Petititan was reti and ordered to Hearn the table.
Sir GEORGE WARRENDER presented a Pc-1
titi,4l from Truro, coaipla.uiug id the endeavour re-
cently made to render Windows of Shops and Ware.:
houses liable to the Window Tax,
Mr.CALVE Rl' presented 4 Petition from the
Inhabitant H3ustholdcrs of the Borough of South-
, walk, signed by the Deputy Bail.ff and twelve other
Howell:4,lers on behalf :1 the inhahitants at large.—
The,Petitioners prayed that the House would pause
betcre it passed any Laws by which the liberty of the
subject should be infringed on.
Mr. DICKINSON said, he bad received a letter
from Bath, •assuring I:im that in the staterneat ma',
the other evening by an Honourable Baronet (Sir
I Francis*Burdett) of the number of signatures, which.
could have been procured to the Petition against the
Suspension of the Habeas Corpus. Act, that the-Ho
nuurable Baronet had been deceived, as the number
was greatly exaggerated.
Mr. CALVERT stated, that at the Meeting at
which the Petition from Southwark was agreed to,
five or WOO persons had been present, and it Was one
of the Resolutions that the Dtkuty Baal and tweive

Mr. LLTS HINGTON said, that a bill would-be
brought ir to amend and expl:in the Acr on which
such charge was made, and extrapti g from the opt-
ration of the Window Tax such Dwelling-houses
were solely rtectip'ed as WenTholltei.
Sir. THOMPSON hoped that instrultions would
be given in the mean time, to prevent. the enforce.
merit ut the existing Act.
• .
General GASCOVNEIio;ve! thAt an indemnifica-
tion would be given to otos,: front whom the tax had
been Alreedy
S•r FRANCIS BURDETT presented a petition
from the Inhabitants ot the Old Artillery Grounds
London; praying Inv Annual earliiments and Uni.
verbal Suit-age sunlit petitions Jr the towns of
Cupar and Sa..thinergln, in the county of Fife; one
horn a town ill Rentrewshire, and one from two
places in the courtly of I..icestcr ; which v.ere or-
dered to lie on the tattle.
Mr. BROUGII4IM said he held in his hands a
petition praying for Parliamentary Rahrm and Re-
trenchment, and complaining. g.•nera I:y ot grievance!,
signed by '2736 inhabitants of the Palish ot St. Leo-
nard's, Shoreeitch. The.petitirzr. prayed generally 1,4.
such Iteform as ors tit seem. most agreeable to the
House. It was signed Ly most ot tire respecuble
householders of the Parish. He had to state to the
House that very cnnsiderahlc obstructions had been
thrown in the way ot the signing this pet;tina, thoupls
he did not mean to say that force had barn used to
prevent persons from signing. One person had made
himself most active on this occits;on—he was a Police
Magistrate, a. person receiving maney Item Govern.
went. Many other efforts were made by persons w! o
were supposed to Le agents to this Magistrate, and
others, to obstruct the petitioners io the exercise of
their rights. Finding, however, they could not pre.
vent, by the means used by them, a number of ;et.-
sons twat resertiog to th• 2 place whe e tine petition
lay Icor signatures, they sent persons
.00t resident
the paribli to sign it, that they might take this obi!
Lion to the petition. These signatures welt mos..ly
svittten tay one Hand. Li4lo.llllllefitte of Lillis attempt
one sheet was actually obliged to be withdraws from
the petition. He tlynight it rigl t, to mention this
circumstance, that the animadversion which it could,
not tail to call lurth, rn'ght prevent those persorts and
others similarly disp.wee, from being active on lutete
occasions —The Pctibion was read anti °stirred to tio'
on the table, •
TIIAT)E WITH THESuUTH ANHCHICAN critoutxv.

Mr. BROVG li AM, seeing the Right, Honuttr..ble
the Chancellor of the nFctiequer in his place, wished
to put a question to hint on a subject of the highest.
interest to the trade Anil commerce of the c, u try.
It related to the trade haween this country and thu.e
pans of the Spanisn Colonies of Scuds Anielica, as
were 1101,V said to be t ?volts:J-o)in. he hoped that
another name would be soon given to them, autttliat
the time would come, when they should gain their
full independence. If a vessel having an Itidepen..
dent flag, and I Aden with goods, the produce Of that
part of South iiruerica to which the flag hAlonged,
should enter a port of this country, would such a vet..
sel be allowed to clear inwards under the INIATrig4-
Lion Law

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, ;hat he was not aware of any difficulty arising
out of the Navigation L.iw, in the case athiJej to. .
But how far the 61.1hject could bear inlreaiitettiun in at
Cuilit Of 1,4 w be could not

Mr. 111tOUG1-IAM a si;e3, if no d fEculty of a
legal nattily should :trite, whether uu iltliieiilly 01 a
political nature- te4,111.1 be ?
The CIiANCELI.OIt of the EXCHEQUER
wishrel to west! vC giving any opinion at present AS 10
d:flkulties of a political Nature.
CRUELTY TO
A Petition was presented by Mr. HARPS, of
which the following is a copy :
" To the I lonourable the Howe of Commons—the litutille
Petition of Janet Davison,
" Shewetb,•Tinit your Petitioner i, a rri:ish suhjeet, and that
he has lately hern to atilished as a niece:sant, at Cape Henry;loq
the hlat,d of St. Liondu&o. iaiird fro t .tut rat al?out the
lit of Decentber, ISIS, for Port Plats, a piece in the sank of
tlle S;anish slat of the island. a, rival titre a few day,
Aiserw4rdt, he sound the ship Lady Gambler, Jzasts Reid inast‘r,
from Belfast, ahcitured ui toe tiatirmar. Auer drilveting some
leuest wad prove to p.tu retitiums, Captain Reid iittOtated hint
that, in cite of nei.d, he oai direc..ed, I:y the insituctinni of his
°otitis, to apply to yew' Yost.witi s nouse tot Sssya.st..ancr he
nilglit rrqulrs to the prtAectition tit vilest and prosnorda
of doh iorewests. lle stated that iht pslacipal obi. c; (s had in
vivo wa. to viteure a cargo tit mahogany and dye-woods'bott'
that he foetid coosidtrable sLiAtaitty its tieing this, as Own std.
et, were extremely Acarise. Your Patti/mitt tcum:m:l4%l4ll him
immediately to pot on board the, gnaw ky of %mod Ise lielAiready
I„,setmell, to take on ireigla a,cipassti:y of unitive...toy Itcitotbing
to your Petitioner, to art e sales s.I tlirtemain:ni; outward urtis, •
end saltiness the proceeds sa she its tiLles :.e whtt:ed; 14.110WOrt
rlyscld pot iuccteil itsprostiorg a quantlty,your Pao
t*:;Ontr rceomintlided huts to procctd w l'or:•au•Prinee, the
repital of tie Prendent Prf.tti, where Iss would be Are to find
toe,wood and lustk in abandan,:e.

•• Captain litetd, uroti finding the difficulty of loading 11. ves-
sel at Port Plata with the arocies he wantrJ, had reetherd to
a..!npt this latter rut' s:ion viral km by your Petitione.-, and to
proceed to Pert au Prince as sure., ae pms,Sie to complete kis
cargo: Bet a short time slier he was uitiii‘d to suvend his re.-
'valuate In consequence of nAdving aA account from the city of
St. Domingo, tbat the duclis., wider the of pettom .
svair attenyttig a rect/lUMAI in tavour ..ot Qyaktophe, and sbst...
tostilitme bat: act:tail/ commented between the rival ChtesN
1141 Mt War improbable such a rwenient nrght copsidered by
your • - harp:me,

sejoyed by the subjects of tl.e Republic. ytt it was calculated to
produce a consider.ble delfte or caution and prudence iu his ad-
Ince to Captain RciJ, as he recollected that previous ro
Cape Henry, a secret esprdi7ion had sailed from that pert hiainht
some part of Petion'a territory, with about Ave hundred troops
bn bnardl.. . .

.....
" As this report, if true, would completely obstruct the plan
detumined upon by Captain Reid, your Petitiocer resolved to
return witt.out delay to.C..pe Ilenty, in order to ascertain how
far it 'Wag four.ded nn fug, and promised Captain Reid to ac-
quaint litre with the result of his inquiries. Upoo Isis arrival at
Cale Henry, your Petitioner learned that the statement which
had-been circulated at Port Plata was entirely false; he found
the veisels which bad carried the troops on the secret expedition
had returned, and conveyed the information relative to that
event in a letter to Carlini Pend, couched in the following terms:
6 King Henrys euprditian aiqiust Yke South skir of the Island has
been completely tinsuccitss!ul Ida yeast). have returned here,
after having been frequently chfiXsi py those 0 Pedal, and the
troops, upon lauding at leremie, Immedlatyly went over to the
opposite carry. 'Fore may' 'tow thereinto go round to Port au
Prince without any danger whatever. I understand the price of
logwoo.l there h 17 ilollrri.•
•' 111 e letter of your Petitioner contained a number of other

remark. 'upon general business, and was forwarded to Captain
eid at Port Plata by a small sloop, which your Petitsinier had
engaged fur the express purpose. About ten days ofter the sloop
venous), hiving hero unable to beat so far to wi.-dward as Port
Plata, in eetrequenee of she prevalence of strong easterly gales.
The lAsagt r di-clined &Stunning the voyage a second time, and
returned the letter in question to your Petitioner.
" An express, sent overland by Captain Reid, arrived at Cape
Henry a few days attire, w'th letters for your Petitioner, expres-
sive of the greatest anxiety for his safety, produced byhis silence,
and their ignorance of his arrival ; and earnestly requesting the
inform. km which he had promised, previous to Isis departure
from Port Plata, to transmit. Your Petitioner immediately re
Paired to the office of his. Baron de !Minty, the Government Ins
terpre-er, with the letters which had bees torwarded by the elm"
and returned. 'Your Petitioner requested the Baron to digit then, •
in due course,as It was his intention to forward then' by express
la
overnd. o letters are allowed to pass the lime betweett
Spatielt and independent part of the island without this formality.
Baron Dupuy said, that, according to. orders he bad lately or
ceived front his Majesty, lie could net affix his signature to any
letter sent to his office, without first reading it, lid requested the
letters miLlit he left.
•' About aft hour after this, the Under Interpreter waited on
your Pentiimer, and requested him to xceompasiy him to the
Governor's house, where he accordingly went. There he was
conducted to an inn r room in which were the Governor and
the Damn Dopey. 'the latter, addressing your Petitioner,
said, lie hal called hint before the Governor in order to oblige
hiin to give up his authority for the information conveyed in his
letter to Captain Reid, vx; • 'I hat King Henrys expedition
against the south side of the island had been completely uttsuco
medal, ke. Your Petitioner J.:plied, that 111. autbolity Was 'lse
curtest report of the town, anti that the failure or the repeats-
t stn hail been a topic of common conversation both among
forrgners and the inhabitant,.. Your Petitioner said, that his
yeas. n for mentioning it to capiaitsi Reedits:au, to efface the into
proviso of a Mlle relent which li.aber circulated at Port Plata,
aid which greatly into fere d with • hisfeture conimi rand trans-
salons; and that he would not be ahli to fossil the object of his
'fo'filc willies' receiving the idotaleSidenalitided to, fur the cone
veyauce or whisli Captain Reid bulimia an express. Baron
Dismay asserted, that the pas-age under consideration was politi-
cal aed not commercial, which aosereon your Petitioner rides-
"roil to rebut, by 'hewing the application of it to the traiseac.
lions already mentioned. Baron Dupuy iniiii.ted oral having
your fell loser's authority for the report, and of er some further
expiration aridrepreeentation ea the part of your Pedisutier,
who declared be was unable to give up any particular authority,
he was entiducted to prisms byre of the Goverucier Officers,
• ' our Petitioner, omen enterisig the jail, was conlined so a
vaulted cell appropriated to the state oimisak, strongly bolted
mid locked, and lighted only by an aperture in the door. 'lite
Gaoler visited your Petitioner the next mornitig,Sunday, January
• 210,11116, about eleven o'clock, after receiving hie Instreetious
kens the Baran Dopey. He was accompanied by seam guards
cyrying falsers and marrments of torture. He informed year
Ponitlenter, that his orders were to put him its irons, and that it
Would be maw to tesistos his attendants Would enforce coin-
The leg and fret kens, generally seed I. that =maim
were then applied,and afterwards riveted sox fitty pound
wide the assistance of a sledge hammer. having thus rendered
year Petitioner incapable of reale mice, they proceeded to lull 4
the teethe: punishment of tonere by thumb. screws 4 hest US-
itimmetite they lied en ynor•Pritiuner, 'and screwed them toga
Cher with the greatest Indere, until the pressure on the jmuts
gretrested the vice frum farther °paradise. 1 hey then kit your
editinner, BMW wasvisitetta few minutes after by the Gover-
ns,' who, in the craw of leb prescribed duty, came to see that
the Gaoler had performed his task. Your Petitiouer, writhing
Moder the meat settee pain, addressed the Governor in terms tot
entresity for thevernahnd te the screws. but finding him deaf to
hos apelkatlon, be appealed to his feelings and humanity for •at
Last a setaxatien of thems Even at this time, though au shortly
niter their application, your Petitioner's thumbs were profile.
ensly swoileu. The Governor heard your Petitioner's eutrewtes
and remonstrances With intlifferenee,-and quitted him Without
asking any reply. ,
" About seism o'clock in the evening, your Petitioner was vio-
eked by the DeputyJaller and some guards, who stripped tom of
_Otitis dirties, whir the exception of his shirt. 'flier left at his
side a pitcher of water and half a cake of
•••• MS situation pier Pedrosa rt=freim II o'elndf'
en Sunday morning, until une o'clock likersdaysoun. It would
a mitt metope to describe the,exesseif 'agony which your
l'etifiutter endured daring that hitetval. Ile only nourishment
he took was a draught of water in tki tamping and ceding, when
visited by the grates in their usual roundiles Ate examination of
the different cells. As he was incapable. of sorting, he etas ohlitad
to solicit one of them to apply the pitcher to hie lips. '1 he cm.
sada bread re:maimed untouched the whole time. The exquisite
pate yuer Petitioner endured, the length of time Ise had suffered,
ownired wl.b the intake heat of the climate and the closeness
of hie cell, at length produced a conskierabk degree of
which threatened a ternmatloa of his existence. His debilitated
towe was noticed by the jailer, who made a report accordingly to
the Governor. He was afterwards visited by the Prison Doctor,-
who gave his opinion that yOur Petitkner could not suffer longer
without end:wrong his hie In Consequence of this, the kg.
irons and thumb screws were removed stout one "dock'! burn
day urn. Your Petitioner was detained in prison fur sine flays
habges;imel was at length relrasedlo consequence u: the !request
.a 414 'Fir ted ernonstratiers made by his eottotrynteil to
• "Henry, through the medium of his inierpieter.
i• Your Petitiouer begs leave to represent to your Honourable
Hume. ILO. nu C"nteintitCv.Pr..,ll4-1r.,/iltieellin./.l•POnbPor
1:. •
lora Vet y moored condition, and apparently in a nismilletstate
for some male after the infliction of this cruel punislifiirit ; and
Le believes, that K Nature bad- not blosed him witteiii uftu
moll, strong sea robist constitution, he could Set have sur-
vived the teeters be endured
•• Yost Petitieser Nimbly declares that he naafi this repro.
saltation to Sur Ploneumble Home, net so much from feelings'
et-revenge fee the ildliry that he has individually susuinei, as
-lrotade seise et the bilignity which has been offered to him as s
British solstice Yet, however bumble and insigoilleant be may
consider ban:elf in his private capacity, he has imbibed a cuss
Idabel from education and observation, that the en lighteeed
spirit which pervades *armed laws of his country, proclaims
is theurhok word, that • an iolury dune to the Muutest subject
I s an insult te the whale swain'
• ••• Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays, that your Honour:
Ole ileum will take hate ecieslderation the circumstance. deo.
toed its this Minable Petitient, and that your Honourable Haim
will take these einetsures, which ia rein seilsdom stall aettihi
necessary to retirees the kjery mbar sassamd, and ro seawall
flout! Power which has eammibitesi this,eivitsage, the •
which is due to a British 'abject.' . • • ;
" Aad your Petitioner, as. is iiikt wisd;'sgan ever • ""
pray •
" London, Feb. 114, 4627. . images gravisetilf.""
Mr. SliAltPE then presetited another Pen • s'
from Mr: Samuel Mariam, a British merchant,_ se-
;ideal at Cape Hens, at the dine Of the outrage dr..'
scribed is die Lawler petition. He gem 6 irned the
statement Of Mr: Davison, er.d alleged that he had'
been deputed by the British eserehants resident at,
liaxti to apply to the &Wish Government. and having
!Korea 120 atuuttion hom the Colonial D partsisaa.
be thought it his duty to apply to Parliament:
etilkins were ut.icred to lie iii the idble.

INTsfECTIIRS-01ZWZIAL 07 TAIIM
Lord STANLEY wished to know why IMP, In-
spectors-General of Taxes wets kept up, on the re.
commendation of the Board of Taxes, notwithstand-
ing this was a class of officers akogether without any
duties, io discharge?
The CHANCELLOR of to EXCHEQUER
said, he had not the smallest objection to produce
that part of the Report of the three Commissioners
on which the Treasury had acted.

•