The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-03-01 00:00:00

ROUSE OF COMMONS.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27.
Soon after twelve o'clock the Speaker took the chair; at
which time there were upwards of a hundred members in the
house. The unusual hour of assembling appeared to have some
effect on the deliberations of the house, as the. Speaker had oc-
casion, during the first half hour, to call the members to order
Very frequently.
The Norwich and Wootton Road Bill, Saltash Road Bill, the
Ipswich and Utley Road Bill, and other private bills, were read
a' second time.—Committee named for the Sutton Bridge and
Bury Road Bills.

M'r. HALL presented a petitionafrom the borough of New-
port, in Monmouthshire, for the repeal of the window tax; and
petitions from the same place for the repeal of the Septennial
Act, and in favour of vote by ballot.
Colonel Fox presented a petition from Tavistock, for the abo-
lition of slavery.
Mr. GODSON presented petitions from Letterworth, and other
places in Leicestershire, for the abolition of slavery; and ex-
pressed his entire concurrence in the prayer of the petitions.

SLAVE EMANCIPATION,

Mr. GODSON also presented a petition from James Window,
of Westminster, containing a plan for the gradttal abolition of
slavery. The hon. member, however, believed it to be a plan
that would not please either side. As connected with the West
Indies, he felt called upon to declare, that the West India in-
terest was most desirous of having the question settled, and that
whilst the present ministry was at the helm.
Mr. CORBETT had no doubt but there would be many schemes
brought before the house, containing, like this, a proposition
for taking money from one party to satisfy the claims of
another. If the five millions which this plan would take out
of the pockets of the people were once to be disbursed, he
would be glad to know when or how it could be, got back again.
Whenever compensation was talked of, it was always contem-
plated to take it out of the taxes wrung from an overtaxed
people. He should on some future occasion have -to bring
before the house a case of compensation, upon which was com-
mitted the most flagrant robbery that ever disgraced the annals
of any country.
Mr. HARVEY thought that every scheme which was brought
before the house, having for its object the emancipation of
slaves, was entitled to serious consideration; but it seemed that
in consideration of the subject, compensation and emancipa-
tion were confounded, whereas they were wholly. distinct; and,
indeed, emancipation should precede compensation. But there
was an objection to the scheme proposed by the petitioner,
even greater than that raised by the hon. member (Mr. Cob-
bat), for Oldham, for it proposed that the debentures that were
to be granted were to be liquidated by the slaves themselves,
and then they were to be left to purchase their own freedom.
(Hear.) The ownersipf the slaves, as they religiously called
themselves, would no doubt submit some similar proposition to
the house • but in his (Mr. Harvey's) opinion, if any persons
were entitled to compensation it was the slaves themselves.
(Hear,)
Dr. BALDWIN said, that the gentleman who proposed such a
scheme should insure the lives of the slaves, and then how
would the effect be, if the cholera got among them? (Lauhter.)
It was an insult to humanity and to the rights of mankind to
suppose that slaves ought to be bound to purchase their freedom
from those who ought never to have exercised any control over
their liberties. (Hear.)
Mr. BERNAL regretted that such a discussion should have
taken place upon this subject, on the mere presentation of a
petition. (Hear.) With the proposed scheme of Mr. Window
he had nothing to do, nor would he now discuss its merits ; and
he regretted that the good, plain, working sense of the hon.
member for Colchester (Mr. Harvey) should have induced him
to depart from his usual course ; and when a question of such
moment was not regularly before the house, have led him to
join in the war-cry that had been unjustly raised against what
he would still call them—a most respectable body of men, viz.,
fhe West India proprietors. (Hear.) If the property in slaves
were a property which had been iniquitously held and unjustly
enjoyed by that class, he would ask, had it been their own
fault ? Had it not been recognized and encouraged by legisla-
tive enactments ? (Hear, hear.) Aud was it just, when the
question was shortly to be brought forward in a regular way, to
increase the aspersions which had been so improperly raised
against the West India proprietors ? (Hear, hear.) He wished
not to appeal to the passions of the'house, but when- the subject
was brought forward in a proper shape, to bring arguments
founded upon calm and dispassionate reasoning into discussion.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. GODSON, then presented a petition signed by 1520 of his
constituents, praying for the repeal of the septennial act, and
the 27th clause of the Reform Bill.

Mr. H. GRATTAN
.presented a petition from the King's
County Political Union, praying for the abolition of vestry
cess. Also from St. Michael's and St. John's Dublin, and
Cavan, against the coercive measures introduced by Earl Grey
for the tranquillizing of Ireland. In presenting the latter peti-
tion, the hon. member observed, that before such a measure
was introduced, the greatest inquiry ought to have taken place;
instead of that no Inquiry whatever had taken place. He
(Mr. G.) felt convined that the tranquillity of Ireland could
not be brought about by the'introduction of bayonets, the taking
away the Trial by Jury, and the introduction of martial law.
Mr. RUTsIVEN had been requested to support the prayer of
the petition. He felt detestation and abhorrence for the mea-
sure introduced by Lord Grey ; it was more calculated for
Algeirs than any christian country. It was a damnable and
detestable measure. Ireland was blessed with an absentee
Government, and an absent Irish Secretary, who was exrava-
gantly paid for what he did by an oppressed and heavy taxed
people. His Majesty's Ministers, by bringing forward the
measure, had increased the Repealers in Ireland. -
Mr. MORGAN O'CONNELL also supported the prayer of the
petition.
Mr_ WILLIAM FIELD presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of 131aCk ins Nr ..--tar
tion of negro slavery.
Mr.. TURNER supported the prayer of the petition.
Mr. HA wiciNs presented a petition from Mackworth Praed,
Esq, of the Inner Temple, complaining of gross interference
with the freedom of election in the borough of St. Ives, and
praying that the parties who had so acted might be prosecuted.
Ile petition stated, that in the mines in the neighbourhood of
the borough, notices had, been put up, evidently for electioneer..
ing purposes, by which any person working in the mine, if he
did not act as the owners wished him, was instantly turned
adrift. Eleven persons working in the mine were compelled to
have their goods at certain houses, and such was the system of
intimidation that was carried on, that the petitioner found that
all the persons who voted for him, if labourers, would be de-
prived of employment, and, if tradesmen, of all their custom.
The Hon. Member had no hesitation whatever in saying that
the conduct pursued by Lord Lauderdale was highly improper,
and against all the rules of the House. As one of the Hon.
Members for that borough was in the House. he (Mr. H.)
trusted he would explain the conduct that bad been pursued,
and if that explanation was not satisfactory, he hoped the
house would institute an inquiry into the subject.
Mr. HA LSE would answer the appeal made to him by the
Hon. Member on the presentation of this petition ftom Mr.
Mackworth Praed. The resolution alluded to in the petition,
with respect to the purchase of goods for the mine, was one that
had been agreed to by the proprietors, in the year 1830; and
although printed then, or in 1831, had never been acted upon
in any single instance. At a public meeting on the occasion
of the recent election this resolution was alluded to; and it was
only then that he (Mr. Halse) recollected its existence.