Star.
London, England, 1817-02-22 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The House being occupied is balloting for an Election Com-
mkt,* tin the Rochester Petition, the gallery was not open till
bait-past four.
Mr. H. DAVIS presented a Petition from the Managers of the
, Bristol Saving Dank, against certain clauses of the Savings' Bank
NlL—Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. DICKENSON presented a Petition from the Clothiers
and Clotb-workers of Suffolk, praying that the use of machinery
might be restrained. Ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. CALVERT presented a Petition from an individual of
the name of James Helder, of Hotsleydown, complaining of a
case of great hardship. The Petitioner he stated te have been
proprietor of a small vessel engaged .in the trade from Rotter-
dam to London, called the George, which bad been boarded by
the Hawke revenue cutter, and detained on a charge of contra-
band
goods having been found in her. The Master and the crew
had beeo impressed and sent to America. The proprietor of the
ship which had been detained, had petitioned the freasury on
the outlet!, but bad not been attended to, because he was unable
to bring evidence to prove that the ship had been unjustly de•
talned, which he had only been prevented from doing by she
Master and crew having been impressed and sent to a distant
station. 'lle Petition was read, and ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. 11. ADDINGTON presented certain Papers relative to
the Poor Laws.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. BKOUGHAM inquired if the Papers relative to Fines
and Forte*s in the Customs were ready to be laid-before the
House ? He was answered from the Ministerial side. that they
had been three days on the table. He then moved that they
should be printed.— FM motion was agreed to.
A Return of the Dnties paid in the three year. ending on the
i.e of February, It 17, oa Carolina Rice, and uo Rice how India,
was ordered to be laid berme the House.
ELECTION COSINITTINts
The Report of the Committee which had gene forth on the
Rochester Petition was brought up. The name. of the Members
de whom the choice of the Howe had fallen, were as follows:
Mr. T. Leigh Sir C. Hudson
Mr. E. Law Sir M Colthurst
Mr. C. Wyatt Mr. J. Rolland
Mr. 0. A. Robinson Mr. T. 'Firrell
Mr. B. L. Leicester Mr. 1. A. Wright
Mr. W. Rasteleigh Mr. C. Long
Mr. R. Williams I Mr. J. 11I•I)omald ,
Sir T. Darin
The Members of the Committee were called to the table and
sworn.

Sir R. KNATCHBULL rose to give sake that on Monday
sermlght he would move for leave to bring in a Bill waiter and
amend the Acts of the 39th and 40th of the King, catending the
Law passed in the 17th year of the present Fele), which related
to Rogues and Vagabonds. .
Ti. SPEAKEIA inquired in what respect the Honourable
Member yrnposed to alter the law to vibigh he had reterred ? It
was proper to tate so much, but not do more, on giving notice.
Sir E. KNA ItHAULL proposed to bring in a Bill to take
away part of it, and to continue other parts of it In force.
Abuse AND winnow DuTlCtt ON slioPS, ace.
Sir JAMES SHAW wished to call the attention of
his Majesty's Ministers to a Petition which he held in
his hand from certain Merchants, Traders, and Shop-
keepers, in the City of London. The Petitioners
complained of having- been recently called upon to
pay the Inhabited House and Window Duties on
Tenements, which had not been so assessed Info: e.
In the last Session of Parliament, they had applied
for relief, but had not pressed the application, in
consequence of their having understood a promise to
have been given by the Chancellor of the Exchequor
that their case should be attended to. At the cl ise
of the Session, however, these unlawful taxes (for
unlawful he would call them), had been rigorously
levied. The Barons of the Exchequer it: Scotland
had declared unanimously, that in that country it,
was illegal to levy the taxes in question on tene-
ments used only as shops, counting-houses, &c. He
doubted not Ministers would'affora the country some

relief, am] had only further to remark, that the t mr
chosen by the Tax Officers for imposing these iiew
burdens, was nne at which, from t'te markets o' the
Coutinert he;ng glutted, the ware' :tithes of the t'eti-
tiOners were tuil of gnodr, and ihey were cottop:.ie.l
from the stagnation of trade In pay the taxes an .
maintain their families, tint out t-t their prt.,fitt, but
by dioninis',ing their capital.
The P.tqion wAs n read It set f rth

m That the P..t.tioners lat.dy "ten charged with the
hatked house (hay, and the defy n w tolows, ,or tenenteht,
solely twed or occupied by them either hs sit: ps a unting.ll,.,l
warehotites, Or tuatudarunes, and whlc:i eau in tin te ct wha-
ever be considered as dwelling-houses. ; hat the to:einem. 0
assessed to the said duties hive hccn in the occupation in the h...
tiouers for e.ritius ptriodsef from bee to r:ver.
teeti years, without having been betor,• etarged wish the dis.e,,,,d
duties, or any of thern, and wit :out haitog been uses! as sme .
ling-houses during :how rcr.ods, and that mazy of them
never have be n Lauri into the outipc.abot the Pend eters,
it not been sui pmmd t::at they ',axe cicatly eaempt •ton.
ties ci.argeable tin inbahited. houses. .1 hu elf appeal to the Cont.
nii,siotkr. f irA.isesoed I the Peti:ionwi I.ave inn tom a:
to olyaits either redress or any aathlieto.) laiorwation AS to't
ground on which they h ore beer; it. charged. 'l.lta: ;he Peteto.
lien have obsere:d nbt only that Ole aid detits hive b en *eiy
part;a!ly levied in England, but that t•:e. Right tiol.ouroble e
barons of the Exchequer in Scotland have unateruttusly decided,
that no shop, eountisiklinuse, warehouse, or n:tht::::. vry,
lay t 4 those of the Petitioners, is chargeable w.th the said
I:I Via• pin of his Majesty's ddatittions. I hit a I'e:its..7ido/Om :0
the present would have been presetud to :his lion.rereuiell .1 sz
gluing the list Sessltn of Parnoceut, had not an ObSCIVA SO I
trlont the Right Honourable the Cita/lunar if the Eachtques icd
Petitienei, to expect redress liciere Os chess. 1 tat as sacs,
however, as the :session was en led, the Conawssiso.ws pea
ceedcd to enforce the assa.ament, aa.ln man/ 11.0:3144 leric4
late, by &sire's. 't hat the Pot VO:icrs do not 1141 Oo +Of of Mt
Majesty's subjects in seediness to bit whiten,' asituum ul ciao
don the nece,sities of the State tray hey upon their, r,ina liopy
their fellow subjectsi•hut they du trust and huts:, that i ley in. I
not liencefo: tit be tunikoled to pay or buotoit tit ct.t.rs and im-
posts which went to be chArged and infl.c test Lim; itunt with
evident partiality, and apparently without justice. the Pomo.
tiers therefore prey the lsowe li. adopt such measures f...r %hilt
relief as to the tionutiralde Holm; may seem lit."
The CLIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.
said, the case was alrekil Cohside:Attuli, an.l
that care would be taken to guard again.t a rcci.:-
rence of the evil, and to do justice to a._ll Parkes.
The Petition was then ordeied to lie on the table.

Mr. SHAW (cf Dardin) presented several peti-
tions, one of which was irons the Nlayor, Sheriffs,
and Common Council of Dublin, against tbetatenticrs
of the right of suffrage. Ordered to lie ol the table.