Star.
London, England, 1819-02-04 00:00:00

WISTMINSTER HUSTINGS DILL.

Mr. BENNET moved that the Westminster Hust-
ings sill be read a third time.
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said, that if he were
to act from private feelings, no man could be more
willing than he to indemnify the High Bailiff; but
he saw no reason or justice in throwing the burden
ois shoulders which were the last that ought to be
made to bear it. The High Bailiff had not only taken
the office voluntarily, but he had paid a large sum
for it ; and that sum he would not have paid ter it,
if he were not sure of an adequate and proper return.
In 1811, a Committee was appointed in great hurry
to bring in a Bill, and their Report came quite stul-
tified into the House. The very cause alleged for
hurrying the Bill through the House—that the peace
of Westminster might depend upon it—was entirely
without ground. It was then promised, that in ;airy
should again take place. There was none. Now
again they were urged to adopt this measure, so
objectionable, without any investigation into its cha-
racter or necessity. Ile understood that 1.3000 was
the sum paid for the office by the High Bailiff to
his predecessor. It was impossible that this vim
should have been paid for an office of only 000 a
year. It had been said that the income was 1:1.53,
but that the Dean and Chapter received CIO, and
the High 13 &iliff paid £lOO for a Deputy to do what
he himself ought to perform. It was a commonly
received plinciple, that benefit and burden should go
together. The benefit of this was amply sufFcient for
bearing the burden, and ought to bear it. If, indeed,
the benefit was divided among many, the High Bailiff
might net have an adecuate sum remaining ; but
they had nothing to do with that. The High Bailiff
had made his bargain, and must bear the consequence.
He had no more title to call upon the House to re-
lieve him, than if it had been a bargain for the pur-
chase of an estate. It was an office of the higLest
character. Whoever was High Bailiff of IVestmin-
ster exercised the same power as the High Sheriff of
a county : he summoned Juries and returned Mem.
bets. No money ought to be taken for an office like
this, which ought always to be gratuitously given.
Nt. individual could be better qualified than he who
now held it; indeed none had ever given more uni-
versal satisfaction : but that was altogether acciden-
tal, for the Dean and Chapter would have given it
to any man who gave the largest sum. If the money
had not been given to Mr. Browning, the' present
High Bailiff had not been appointed. It was then
too much to ask the House to pass this Bill, becau-v
the High Bailiff had made an imprudent bargain.
The Committee in their Report had recommended
that the burden should be thrown o.i the poor-rates.
To argue against this recommendation, lie conceived,
would. be to waste the time of the House. As to the
charges, they always appeareclto him sources of emo-
lument rather dian of expense. Formerly, when
£lO,OOO had beeu frequently spent on Elections, the
High Bailin' shared largely in the profits. But the
charges recently exhibited appeared to him to merit
no ether name than extortion. How a sum so large
could become due, he could form no idea. An ace
tion had been brought against him, and he had re-
sisted it. The Chief Justice, however, Lord Ellen-
borough, by a decision which he thought very ex-
traordinary, had found him liable, as a candi-
date, although he had not been a candidate.—
But he bad been made liable to expenses reduced to
what was fairly and legally clue. This Bill gave
then a power of extortion, and was an infringement
on the privileges and rights of Westminster. There
was less reason for imposing *these expenses in West-
minster, on Candidates, than elsewhere, because the
emoluments of Dean and Chapter were so great.
Instead of the Bitt being read now a third time, he
should move that it be read a third time this day
fortnight, in order to give time for Petitions, which
he should have to present against it, for acquiring
proper information on the subject. At the same
time it appeared to him so very plain, as that even
investigation seemed unnecessary to. defeat it. It
ryas hurried through oh account of the ensuing Elec-
tion, in order to devolve the expenses on those who
should be Candidates ; but the Electors could easily
frustrate that object by returning, as they had done
on other occasions, a Representative who had not
been i Candidate. Upon all public principles, upon
reason and justice. Candidates ought not to be made
liable, when others were in fact liable, and were
able to sustain the burden. It was a and
wellrknown saying' that the Church was very astute
in taking thogood things of this world without their
accompanying burdens. But the office of High-
Baih not to be made a matter of emolument;
but it had been made 'so ; at least, then, let the bur-
den go with the emolument. The Honourable Be-
rout concluded by moving, as an Amendment, that
the Bill should be • read a second time on this day
&Might.
lir ROBERT—WILSON seconded the Maim,
prase:pay on this mead, that as the qualificatiOn