The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-07-01 00:00:00

SCOTCIICo‘IiIISSARIES' BILL

The LA/It ,111)VOCATE supported the Bill. He ex-
plained that the Bill superseded the whole of the Com-
missaries (•J3,in nmber), and transferred the whole of
their ditties to the Sh-rilla and their Deputies. The
givat'object of the dill was t.) save intense to those con-
rerned.
On the question, that the Bill be re td a third time,
Lunt A. HA MI LTON rose to express hire di.m.ent from
this measure. His opposition. howester, militated not
against its principle, hot the manner in which the go-bye
was shoot to he given to the principle, even by those wale
brought this nattamtre forward. . lie qoestioned the since-
vitt. oft inisters consenting at all to hack theprintiple of
dot BA which was the dissolution of aanecessary otfi es.

The Bill, he was sure, if it was its fate to pass this Ironic,
Would be dispased of in another place as a predecessor otit
bad been before—namely, that it would be thrown out by
the Learned Lord's own coadjutorin office. If the Learned
Lord had been sincere in his wishes to carry this Bill
with effect, he would sot Lave waited till the third read-
ing to discuss it. It was quite impossible in the present
state of the House (there were not 20 Itlemberspr,sent,)
and the lateness of the Session, to do the subject justice.
IThe Noble Lord then proceeded In state objections to the
provisions of the Bill. It affected to be founded upon.tba
Wrest of Commissioners appointed .17 years ago, but
was not to fart conformable to it. The Report recomazend.
ad, that no compensation should be given to offieers, but
by this Bill provision was m.de for several. Some
inferior offices nese also retained in the Courts which
were transferred .to the Sheriffs-Depute, which ought
le bare been abolished. Bat the great objection was,
that so much power was delegated to the Judges of
the Court or Session to make what regulations as to costs
of proceedings which they pleased respecting the new
Coady. This. he contended, the House °fight• to have
taken into their own hands. Ile doubted, however, that
snob a Bill as this would ever pass. The frequ-nt fail-
ures of siosiLr measures since 1501. bore testimony .to
the indisposition of Ministers to consent to the aboli-
tion or ageless others. The Noble Lord was proceed-
ing with his objections in detail. but observing that
the Members continued to leave the House, he war
" I am sorry to be obliged to go on with this subject,
which I can assure the trentlemen present is as p sinful
to limas it appears to be irksolse to them. This beint
the firsudiseussion upon it. however, I have a linty to
perform. and in spite of the non-attendance of those
who ought to be present. and the anmattenlion of those
who are present, I shall en lie to go through with
it.—(Laughing,) I sin afraid thwerh. that c. I get or.
the Bourse will '..e left to yen and me. Sir (lilt gemlike?),
plaids will pet, however, d ter me, fur I shall at la.t
have sus. --*Lc...rion, when I meet my ronstituents, of
telling them that I urged 0., . newel' subkrt until
ha.l driven nearly every Member out of the. ll.suse."
(Laughing.) lie lamented that lie sal alt the °ppm.,
tnnity of stating his ohjoctien in a Committee. Its
cu.ertained the strongest obieetion to the Bill in princi-
ple and detail, and he was sure that it would never pass
to a full Maw of Commons.

Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS said he regretted that the
auttject before the House was not brooght under the
conaideration of the House it an earlier period, fir it wan
now some time since the Commiseittners of Inquiry int
Courts of Justice in Seotlind had simile their deport.—
lie also regretted that the Government did not more sr-
rionsly turn their atiestion to me:sures connected
regalatiun of the administration of justice in Scotland.—
After some further observations the Hoe. Almnber gave
his support to the Gil.
Mr. .KIN S ED) objected to severatclaases of the Bill;
(meta those clauses transferred the duties of the 'COMMIS.
snits to the Sheriffs. who were enabled to depote their
power to their substitntes, who again were to do the tluty.
and without granting them any tttW uit.mal retaannera-
tiers, and be could not allow this opportunity to pass
without observing that these Gentlemen. meaning the
Sheriff Substitutes of Scotland, were a verrrespectahle
and useful body of men,-but very ill paid, and be hoped
'that independent of any additional labour, their eitnation
would soon be considered in the praper q tarter, and that
&provision worth' be made fur them, which should he
more suitable to their station, and the cations and im-
portant deities they had to prrtorm.
The 1,01(ll ADVOCATE supported the Bill.

After a few words from Mr. ABERCROMBY, the
Muse divided. and the numbers were—

Poe the Bill, 56—Against it, 21—Majority for the third
Treading, 3.5.
The Bill Was then read a thin time and pissed.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCH EQUER moved the
Order of the D.ry for the further consideration of the Re-
port on the Irish Distilleries Bill.
The motion was agreed to after a few words from Lord
Nrnaxy awl Mr. 6ot:ultras, and the House then went
into a Committee ou the Bill.

The CH ANCRLLOR of the E XCHEQU E Et hen stated
that all the details of the measure hail been arranged in
concert With the Irish and Scotch distillers. The 'Right
Hon. Gentleman further said, thit the Excise were to have
a power of closing up the worm of the still which con-
veyed the spirits to the principal receiver, onlessit could
be made appear that such closinz up would be injurious
to the party. 'Phis was a new clause, for as to most of
the other dames there was, he believed, n.• ditTerence of
opinion respecting them between the Excise and the
distillers. •
Mr. HUTCHINSON objected to the claus- for shutting
up the worm.
The UNA NCELLOR of the EXCHEQU ER consented
to postpone it to the third reading of the Bill. In his
opinion the other clauses were all arranged to the satis-
faction of the parties
Sir K. FERUUSSONwas glad to li-ar that the clause
was to be postponed, as lie considered that the adoption
of it would be productive of ruinous consequences.
After a few words from Mr. S. RICE and Mr. WAL-
LACE,
Mr. HUME observed that all the whiskey he received
from Scotland was smuggled.—(Hear, hear.) Yes, he
was free to confess that fact ; Ile would even go farther.
and say that all his pocket-bandkerchiefs were smuggled.
(Laughter.) The fact was so, and lie was persuaded that
most of his Hon. Friends around him were also in pos-
session of smuggled packet-handkerchiefs. —(llear.)
{The lion. Member displayed a silk pocket handkerthi-f.
and several other lion. Members did the same amidst
loud laughter.] When a man once commenced smug-
gling lie was fit for any thing else ever after. —(Continued
laughter.) lie knew that this laugh was intended against
him, but lion. Gentlemen ought to draw a wide distinc-
tion between those who smuggled and those who purchas-
ed smuggled goods. His great object was to see some
system adopted which would put an end to sninggllag al-
together.
.. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER ohserved,
'that the Hon. Member would hive run some risk in dis-
playing his tnuoggled pocket-handkerchief, as any of his
friends near 'him might have seized it, had they not
placed themselves in the same predicament by displaying
theirs.—(A laugh.) With respect to the evil of which the
Hon. Menilwr complained, it was his intention to intro.
duce some measure, early in the next Session, for the pur-
pose of remedying it.
Mr. HUME. exp d himself satisfied with the pro.
inisejfirrn by the Right lion. lientleuvut, in consequence
of which he should decline proposing any clause on the
subject at present.
Sir R. FERtiUSSON complained that certain unfair
advantages were given to the Irish over die Scotch dip
tillers.
Mr. WALLACE briefly explained.
M e. W. SMITII said, that the common system ought to he
adopted for the English, Irish, and Scotch distillers. In hit
opinion the consumption of spirits ought to be disconate•
minced in Ireland, and the consumption of beer encouraged.
The interest of morals required it. It was only necessary
!to took at one of Ilogarth's pictures, to see the effects of one
and the other exemplified.
Sir It.. FICIUMSSON said, he had conferred with some
of the Scotch distillers, and their opinion was that the spirits
would he materially deterioreteti, if the worm were closed up.
Mr. MONCK wished, that the principle of equalized°,
should extend to other articles as well as Writs.
Mr. CAMPBELL thought that the Hon. Geetleman (Mr.
W. Smith) to declaiming *gainst the use of spirits. seemed
entirely to pass by the Hitt-shops of isoadoo.
Mr. 11. O. RENNET deprecate!' the • prsctice of smug-
Kling, to which the present systemless) rise. lie saw us
reason why the per should sot make we of sis:fits as wog