Star.
London, England, 1817-03-08 00:00:00

PIitTITIOgS.

Lord COCHRANE presented the Petiton of
Henry Pluckwell, late landlnrd of the Sutlers' pub-
, lic-hnuse at the Horse Guards, complaining of Isis
I having been deprived of his Licence by the Hoard of
Green Cloth, and reduced to a state of starvation
with nine children, and praying for relief.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL cortendert, that
it was impossible fur the House to interpose its an.
thority to replace the petitioner in possession of his
public-house.
Lord COCHRANE suggested that the manner in
which the House might interfere, might be by re-
ferring the Petition to the Committee of Police, for
the appointment of which notice of a Motion. had
lately been given.
Serjeant BEST agreed in opinion with the
Rniutwable and Learned Attorney-General, that the
house could not with propriety receive this petition.
. .

Sir FR fl NCIS Butiptrt contended, that this
war, a cAae wioch called for the interposition of the
House. The petitioner complained of an unjust
mode (if proceeding adopted towards him by the
Board of Green Cloth, and a sort of connivance be-
tween that Bard and the Officers of the Horse
Guards of a very reprehensible nature. The House
were bound to inquire into the fact, whether the
Board of Green Cloth had or had not made an un-
justifiable use of the powers committed to them ?
The Petition was negatived without a division.
Mr. NEVIL LE presented a Petit ion from the Free.
holders, Copyholders, Leaseholders, and other In-
habitants of Berkshire, prating for Parliamentary
Reform. He intimated, that any Mo.inn for going
into a Committee on the state of t e Representation,
should have his hearty cor,curr:•nce. The petition
did ro,t carry its prayer for Reform to those lengths
that certain wild and mischievoub men demanded.

Lord COCHRANE said it would be much bettes
t the ductli:,ei alluded to, than attack the
ndividua:s who maintained them. Parlianatnts had
been annual fcr neatly two centuries, and it was too
fstuch to call those individuals who advised a return
to this t r.tc:ice wickeJ men, who wished to, mislead
the public. if there was any thing absurd and mis-
chievous in the doctrine, they ought to refute it ; but
to be constantly harping against those individua!,
who held the opinion in question, was not to be en.
dured.—The Petition was read and laid on the table.

Mr. CHARLES DUNDAS presented a Petition
from the City of York, praying for Retrenchment
and Reform in the Representation. •
Mr. CURWEN presented a Petition from John
Wheeler, late acting Purser in the Navy, stating
that he had been in the service ever since the year
18045; that in 1812 he had been wounded at the at-
tack of a French privateer, by a gun shot, which
had shattered his knee ; that as a reward for his ex-
ertions on that occasion, he had been promoted to
the rank of Acting Purser ; but that, in consequence
of a new regulation, which limited the•number of
Acting Pursers on half-pay, he was left out. He
•Iterelore prayed to be restored to his rank, in order
to enjoy the benefit of the half-pay.
Mr. CROKER was desirous of explaining the
grounds of the present case. It was not long since
there bad been only one %Verrone Officer in every
ship. In the course of war, however, the number oi
Pursers had exceeded that of s:,ips. They were then
borne on the check at one shilling a day. But as this
Had been found inadequate for their support, the
Board of Admiralty hsd recommended that halt•pay
should be given to Pursers; but in order to consult
economy, it had been ordered that no more Pursers
shoulJ bl made than there were ships in the Navy
on the ola establishment. The Petitioner had un-
fortunately fallen under the operation of that regula-
tion, and could not be promoted until the number of
Pursers on half-pay should have been brought down.
Mr. CURWEN understood that there were not
mo e than about twenty individuals in the same un.
furtunate situation as the prisoner. Relief might,
therefore, be extended to them without committing a
very considerable breach of economy.
Mr. CROKER believed that there were several
hundreds of individuals in the same situation as the
Petitioner, wkr would come on half pay if the door
was once thrown open. He had no objection, how-
ever, to receiving the Petition. The Petition was
then read, and ordered to lie on the table.