The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-26 00:00:00

218 •

Env er ial Parliament.
HOUSE OF LORDS.

t

THURSDAY; FEBRUARY 21.
Petitions were presented :—for the abolition of colonial slavery,
from Leeds, Ainwick, and Hexham, by Earl Grey ; from Durham,
Gateshead, and Stockton-upon-Tees, by Lord Durham ; from a con-
~~rre;ation of I.'rfortoesmt
eD Dissenters int oftlLeisezunias o7litec,sesetaesril
ebyuLord
Tyne, by Lord Suffield ;—for the abolition of Tithes, from Wroranm
and certain other parishes in Kent, by Lord Teignham ;—for the better
observance of the Sabbath, ifom the city of Bath, by the-Bishop of
Bath and Wells ; from Dartmouth, by the Bishop of Exeter.
CHANGE OF VENUE (IRELAND) BILL.
Earl GREY :—My lords, I rise to present a bill to your lord-
ships, entitled " A bill to provide for the more impartial trials
of offences in certain cases in Ireland." This is the bill of
which I gave notice a few evenings ago that I should lay it
upon your lordships' table to-day. I am not aware that it is
necessary for me to state anything now as to the nature and-
object of the bill. I, therefore, move that it be read a first
time ; and to-morrow I shall propose the second reading."
The bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be printed.
SUPPRESSION OF DISTURBANCES (IRELAND) BILL.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY brought up the report of the cora•
mittee on the bill for suppressing disturbances in Ireland.
After sotne verbal amendments had been made, at the sug-
gestion of Lord Ellenborough, Earl Grey, and the Lord Chan-
cellor, in several of the clauses,
Earl Grimy proposed an amendment to the clause pointing'
out the form of holding courts martial. The amendment
,ran
thus :—" Provided always that at such courts martial counsel
be permitted to examine and cross-examine witnesses, as in
courts of law." The noble earl said this amendment, he
trusted, would prove satisfactory to the house. In cases of
courts martial, their lordships need not be told, counsel :were
only permitted to suggest questions to the party on trial, and
the examination was conducted through the 'Judge Advocate
and the President.
The Duke of CUMBERLAND said that the amendment would
alter the whole constitution of-courts martial.
Earl GREY replied that it would only alter them in this one
particular, for the general form still continued.
The Earl of HARROWBY felt an unwillingness to adopt the
amendment as respected courts martial. He thought it would
alter the duties of the Judge Advocate,. who had indeed now an
anomalous duty to perform, acting as counsel for the prisoner
and assessor for the court.
The LORD CHANCELLOR thought no inconvenience what-
ever would attend the adoption of the amendment. Undoubt-
edly the Judge Advocate was partly the counsel for the prose-
cution, partly adviser for the prisoner, and partly assessor to
the court. The amendment did not add to the anomaly.
Lord WYNFORD gave his support to the amendment proposed
by the noble earl, because, although it was a departure from
the form of courts martial, yet the jurisdiction was likewise
different. Under the operation of the bill such offences were
cognizable, but not so with ordinary cases of courts martial.
After a few words from Lord BERESFORD. and Lord ELLEN-

notiocan, the amendment was agreed to.
Earl GREY proposed to introduce a clause as to signals; it
was framed on the model of a similar clause in the Smuggling
Act. It was to the following effect :
" Be it enacted, that front and after the passing of this act,
no person shall make, or aid or assist in making, any light, fire,
bonfire, flash, blaze, or other signal; or by smoke or finng, fire-
works, firing of guns or other firearms, or by the blowing of
horns, or by- the ringing of church, chapel, or other bells; or
by other contrivance or device, give any notice, signal, or in-
timation to any person or persons engaged in illegal combina-
tions or assemblies against the provisions of this act; and that
no person shall make or assist in making any such signals, or
any_otber signals, to call persons to assemble together, or to
act in concert together, for any purpose not warranted by law,
or which is prohibited by this act, or to assemble in any un-
usual numbers to endanger the public peace; and if any, person
shall, contrary to the act, make any such signals or notice,
such persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanour; and every such
offence so committed in any district proclaimed in pursuance of
the. provisions of the act, shall be cognisable by court martial;
and if not committed in any such district, shall be tried ana
punished according to the course of the common law."
('kite latter part of the clause was in consequence of a sug-
gestion made by a noble lord, that signets were often made in
a county adjoining the proclaimed eistrict.
The Earl of LIA R ROWBY thought-the clause preferable to his
own. he would suggest that signals were, in many cases, made
to give notice of the march of troops.
,1 he clause was agreed to.
Upon the motion of E 3.11. GREY, it was ordered that the clause
:as amended, be printed.
The report was then agreed to, and the bill ordered to be read
.a.third time to-morrow.