Star.
London, England, 1818-04-25 00:00:00

red to the Committee of Supply; he stated, that he
should postpone his observatiirs on the subject, till
the House was in that Committee.
Mr. BENNET wished to know whether the pro-
posed grant had the consent of the Crown ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER. said
that it had.
Mr. BENNET wished to ascertain this point, as
that consent had been refused to a claim of justice,
which was now given to a grant of munificence.
Mr. CURWEN said he should divide the House
on the question. The purchases of manuscripts were
for the benefit only of a few, and since he had ob-
jected to the Grant to the Royal Family, he could
not consittently agree to this vote.
The House divided—For the Motion, 79—Against
it, 35—Majority, 44.

BANK CHARGES.
On being re-admitted, we fou:td Mr. GRENFELL
inquiring of Mr. Bankes, whether it still was the inten-
tion of the Committee of Finance up stairs. to go
ihto the examination of the accounts between the Pub-
lic and the Bank of England? He understood that
a Right Honourable Gentleman opposite (the Chan•
cellor of the Exchequer) Niated them to desist, on
the ground that he was at this very moment nego-
tiating with the Bank, with the view of reiucing
their charges. If this were the case, he still hoped
that the Committee would proceed, and not suffer
the negotiations to be carried on solely between
Downing-street and the Bank, as the House must
know, from woeful experience, that the Chancellor
of the Exchequer was not a match fox the Court of
Directors. If justice were done to the country,
390,00 C/. per annum might be saved to the public,
which would be 50,0001. more than that disgraceful
and impure source of revenue, the Lottery.
Mr. BANKES replied, that in his opinion it was
still desirable that the Committee of Finance should
investigate the subject alluded to by his Honourable
Friend. When his Right Honourable Friend (the
Chancellor of the ExChequer) had stated that the
matters between him and the Bank were likely to be,
obstructed rather than advancea by such an inquiry,
he (Mr. Bankes) had represented to him, that it was
more likely, on the contrary, that Government would
be 'strengthened instead of obstructed. He Isad,
however, failed to persuade, but still retained his
own opinion upon the subject.
Mr. GRENFELL gave notice, that as the Right
Honourable Gentleman opposite had not chosen to
satisfy the House on the subject, he should mos e on
Tuesday se'nnight, that a Committee be appointed
for the express arid specific purpose of such inquiry.
POOR LAWS.
Mr. STURGES BOURNE moved that the House
resolve itself into a Committee on the Poor Laws'
Amendment Bill.
Mr. CALVERT condemned the principle of giving
parish claims to able bodied rgon, but approved ge-
nerally of the Bill.
Mr. HOME SUMNER wished the Honourable
author of the Bill to explain generally what good
would be produced by the Bill.
The House then went into the Committee, on the
clause fur borrowing money on the Poore Rates, for
erecting Workhouses and purchasing small portions
of land to be let out to the paupers, by which they
might assisr themselves, the n eves to be obtained
by increasing the County Rates, and 6:anting annui-
ties upon them.
Mr. DAVIES GILBERT moved that the fell* ow-
ins words be inserted, " with the consent of two-
thirds of the Freeholders."
Mr. S. BOURNE did not object to the amendment.
Sir CHARLES MONCKE objected to the whole
of that clause, as it went to mortgage property, to-
divert those funds from the uses fur which they were
intended, and to throw the burden on posterity.
After a desultory conversation between Mr. HOLDS
WORTH, Mr. F. LEWIS, Lord COMPTON, Mr. COUR-
'FERMI, Mr. N. CALVERT, Sir E. BRYDGE.SI Mr.
BROADHURST, Sir C. MONCK (who said, that of
all
taxes with which we were burthened, the Poor Rates
ought to be the last that should be made the subject
of a mortgage), and Mr. 11. SUMNER, the Amend-
ment was agreed to.
On the clause for remedying the injuries sustained
by parishes from houses let out in numerous apart-
ments, by the sub-tenants becoming insolvent, or
running away without paying the rates ; or where
houses are taken at a rent below what is liable to at-
sessment, and then raising the rent to a sub-tenant,
to make the owner liable, Mr. STURGES BOURNE was
understood to propose an Amendment to extend this
operation genially, instead of confining it to towns.
This gave rise to a desultory conversation between
Mr. LITTLETON, Mr. CURWEN, General THORNTON,
Sir C. MONCK, Mr. WROTTESLILY Mr. N. Cat vEar,
(who proposed that the landlord ;hould only pay one
half, instead of two-thirds of the Poors' Rate on the
rent), Lord COMPTON, Mr. PHILLIPS, Sir C. Mon
DAUNT, Mr. F. Lewis, Alderman WOOD, Mr. THOMP-
SON, General THORNTON, Mr. COL/ATI:SAY (who said
that of 18,000 houses in Birmingham no: more than
4,000 paid the Rates), Mr. BUTTERWORT!!, and Sir
E. BRIDGES, after which the clause seas agreed to,
with an understanding that it should be subjected to
a future discussion.
Or. the clause which makes the landlords of houses,
the rents of which are not above twenty, nor under
four pounds per annum, liable for the Poors gates,
a rariety of Amendments were moved, and a long
discussion took place, in which Mr. Ltrrt.nrox, Sir
R. HERON, Mr. PHILLIPS, Sir C. NiONCK, Sir C.
MORDAUNT, Mr. F. LEWIS, Mr. Aiderumn WOOD,
Mr. THOMPSON, General THORNTON, Mr. S. BOURNE,
Sir T. BARING, Mr. BUTTERWORTH, Sir E. BRYDOZS,
Mr. N. CALVERT, Mr. D. GILBERT, Colonel Woon,
Mr. MELLISH, Mr. CURWEN, and Mr. LAIIIII/2 parci-
cipated. It was finally decided that the landlord
should not be rated at above half the rent. The
clause so amended was objected to by Gen. Tuonft-
TON, who called for a division.—The gallery was ac-
cordingly cleared for one, when the numbers were—
Ayes 54—Noes o.—The gallant General having
withdi awn his opposition on the number in favour of
the clause being announced from the Chair.—. The
other clauses were agreed to after much discussion.
The House then resumed, and the Report was re-,
eeived and ordered to be taken into further conside-
ration on Tuesday next, and the Bill, as aineraled,
to be printed.
The other Orders rif the Day were then disposed
of,, Aid the House adjourned at TwaLva