The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-14 00:00:00

purpose of espres%ing his hope, that the Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman would adhere lo the present
•edvaitteeeetts system of issuing Exchequer Bills at
tw 0. pence per cent. per diem, or about three per cent.
which, when the premium was deducted, moon&
ed to very little more than two per cent. A saving
Hof 300,0001. had already been made by this means,
' end a further of one between 600,0001. and
6004001. might be effected by persevering in the same
Coarse during the present year. •He rejoiced the more
at this circumstance, as, be conceived it bad a ten-
liency to keep do Fri the general rate of interest, and
to enable the great landed proprietors to undertake
and esrry into emotion plans for the improvement
of their estates; as well as to give encouragement to
every species of national industry and -enterprise.—
He was aware that it might lead to a partial Invest-
ment of capital Jot foreign fends, but the peat dif-
ference of the we'll would probably prevent this
disadvantage from proceeding to any serious
*lie hid only one other observation to snake, and be
made it without any desire to ice the management of
the business of the Bank interfered with ; but he
spoke as a Bulk Proprietor, when be suggested that
they would do wisely to lower the rate of their dis-
counts, in the prelent circumstances dike country,
from five to four per cent. They were doing very
little now, bat he believed that, if this change were
adopted, they mght do it greet deal.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
in answer to the question of the Honourable Member,
observed, that it was not intended by his Majesty's
Ministers to exercise the option reserved by the Act,
of delaying the repayment of the loan of 6,000,0001.
to the Bank for the perred of three years. He @greed
generally with the lion. Member in his other ob.
servations; sod mast express the great gratification
• which his Majesty's Ministers derived from being
able to ;else money on more advantageous terms than
it had ever before been raised in this country.
The Report was then agreed to, and the Bill or-
dered to be read a third time on Monday.
SECRET COMMITTER.
Mr. BROUGHAM asked the Noble Lord if he
tould say when the Report of the Secret Committee
.
might bee:peeled ? .
Lord CASTLEREAGH replied that he could not
' give the Honourable and Learned Gentleman a satis-
factory answer. The Committee were still actively
engaged ht the investigation for which they were ap-
pointed, end would make the earliest Report practi-
. cable.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER it was ordered that, at its rising,
the House should adjourn to Monday.
Mr. CA LCRA FT presented a Petition from the
• nigh Constable of Westminster, praying for corn-
pettsation.for his attendance and that of his Officers
•on the Houle of Commons, which wisordered to lie
on the table. Mr. Calcreft gave notice, that on Mon-
day he would move that it referred to the consider-
ation of a Committee.

ROYAL SCOTCH BURGHS.

Lord A. HA NI wroN rose to make Ms promised
• motion respecting the regulation of Scotch Burghs.
lie felt it incumbent on him to premise that, in sub-
mitting this ovation to the House, he had not the
slightest idea of connecting it in any way, either
- mow or at any future period,with the general question
of Parliamentary Reform. The discussion he pro-
posed to enter into, might, its his mind, without pre-
judice be treated as a separate question from that of
Parliamentary Reform, as it was generally 4011°mi-
-sated. His application to that House was prompted
by the most sincere desire to be of service, more
• particularly to that part of tho United Kingdom
to which, from his earliest years, he had been affec-
tionately attached. The question was not whether
the People of that country (Scotland) felt dissatisfied
with things as they were, or what' was the pro-
portion of oppression they were subjected to in
consequence of the esistence of the evil complained
of. He was satisfied the case he should have the
honour to &cif's* to the House, would discover in
it such a system of fraud and iniquity as would
call imperatively upon the House to redress the
grievance. The case of the Scotch Royal Burghs
Was, from these circumstances, eminently entitled to
their consideration. In these Burghs the resident
inhabitants had no constitutional controul over the

• 'Magistrates and Officers of the Burgh, who, for the
greater part, elected themselves in perpetuity, in-
' stead of beiog elected by the Burgesses, as they
should be, if any regard were to be had to the or.
dinary dictates of reason or justice. Yet although
the Burgesses were thus deprived of all constitutional
contractl over their Officers, they were nevertheless
Considered by the Constitution of the Burgh liable in
their personal effects and property to the debts in.
'varied on the part of the Corporation of the Burgh.
What was more extraordinary in the system of elec.
lion, if such it might be called, in these. Burghs,
was, that the Magistrates,after becoming self-elected,
and that not unfreqoently in perpetuity, often pro.
ceeded to elect such personsinto the corporation as
were likely to be sobsetvieekto theirleishcs and po-
litics. It was even a matter of indifference Whether-
4hese Magistrates were resident or not, and in no in-
stance were these Public Officers of the Burgh liable '
to be called to account for the sums of money depo-
sited or expended for the public use of the Burgh by
the Burgesses. Cases of this peculiar nature had been
brought before the Courts in Scotland, and some had
been removed into Appeal Courts in this country. One
• In 1707 bad been brought before the Barons of the Ex-
chequer, and Lord Karnes expressed himself extremely
concerned the Court was not competent to afford the
Bergh any redress under the circumstances; a simi-
, ler application to the Courts of this country had met
with a like fate in 1800, and the parties were in-
. formed the. Court had no authority to interfere in
the adjustment of their accounts. The case of the
• !gorgh of Montrose was that to which he wished
• to draw the attention of the House. This Burgh had
‘': Men is the last year, owing to a non-election of its
• *Scars at the regular period, in point of fact dis-
' solved, an application was thereupon made to his
Majesty's Government to revive it by a poll-election.
Government in that case proceeded to revive the
Bergh, bet in doing so, effected a complete altera-
tion in the settleuseot, or, as it is called, the consti-
Mien of the Burgh. lie would not enter into the
propriety of the original constitution of these Burghs,
bet he contended that what had been done in this
case,
,and the case of Stirling, which was similar,