The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-02-23 00:00:00

" The Celt* for which 11,110P7)E10 t%.

COMMON COUIICiL.

ORPHANS' FUND.
Mr. Huacrisrin brought up the report of the Com-
mittee for General Purposes on the Orphan's Dies,
and Metage on Coals. Sir William Curtis was apse
painted Collector and Treasurer to tyre Orphau So•
eiety, by the Court of Aldermen in the year 1810,
and gave a bond for the due mention of the office ;
and in the year 1820, the Court of Aldermen took a
new bond front him for the flischarre of the same du-
ties, 'rider circumstances that called for inquiry.
He desired that the Report made by the Constuittce
for General Purposes on the subject, shonlii be read.
Sir WILLIAM. Crime said, he attended the Court
Ceillaell Council yesterday, bemuse he had the
greatest respect and reverence for the Court ; bat the
Report in question was made on a subject of which
this Court bed um cognizance. He. reared the Aire
frets tirs Cleft of Aiderostro, lb' whom only he was
hatossailatio for kit eotuluet to it.. He bad act...muted
to their satisfaction, and he was now to be called onl
to render an account to the Court of Common Connell,
who had not, in point of fart, any account of the re-
criptc diebursements of the Orphan Fund in their
books.—Sit Witham Curtis then left the Court.
The report was then read. It stated that Sir Win.
Curtis had been appointed Collector and Treasurer to
the Fund by the Court of Aldermen in Ole year 1810,
at a salary of 2501. a year,and that he had given a bond
for the due execution of the duties of the Office, and
the payment of all mollies received, to the Chamber-
lain, before the last day of every month. That he
had employed Mr. Drummond as his Deputy, to col-
lect the duties, which he had reralarly reeeked from
the said Deputy every week, but that he had not paid
the same into the hands of the Chateloirltin every
month, hut bad an average of upwards of nine years,
to 175,5100/. That in tl►e month of slay last year,
the Court of Aldermen took a new bend bum Sir Wm.
Curtis, for the performance of duties of Collector and
Treasurer to the Orphan Fund, by the conditions of
which bond they required bits to pay over the money
received only once in two toontlis. The report pro-
ceeded to censure Sir Williams, Curtis's conduct in
terms of great severity, and to recuususend that his
deputy be directed to make his fn:ure payments to the
Chamberlain. and that Sir William Curtis should be
sues' for •itterest on the large balances be constantly
had in his hand.

Mr. Ilcaconne made come observations on Sir Win.
Curtis's departure from the conditions of the bond he
had given for the due execution of the Office to which
he bail bee. appointed, and moved that the Report of
the Committee be agreed to.
Mr. Ci.anue said he rose to opposo the motion. So
much had been said on Sir Win. Curtis's conduct
office of Collector to the Orphan Food. that be was,
glad the Report bail been read as he thou4lit it might
be inferred from it, that Sir Win. Curtis had been
hardly dealt with. The Committee for General Pnr-
poses was certainly highly respectable ; but he
thought it hall cast an unnecessary ceustire on the
Court of Aldermen, for allowing. Sir WiMins Curtis
to depart front the terms of his bond. In point of
fact, when Sir William Curtis entered into the hood.
it was neither meant, nor expected, that hewer strictly
to adhere to it.—(llear, hear.)—When Si r William Cur-
tis accepted the office, he knew it was the custom to
keep two mouths money its band, Pad he conformvd to
it.—(clear, hear.) The Report says, that Sir Wil-
liam Curtis's retention of th.• ttttt nev in his hands was
all unwarrantab:e and gross violation of the conditi...n
of Isis bond, aad recommends taking legal pi•oceeditigs
to recover the interest. lint such a proceeding would
be both injudicious and wsjust—unjust, because it
was against the understood meaning of the hood, and
injudicious because it would be impracticable to re-
cover. For if reference be hail to custom since the
year 1752. it would be found that balances were
retained by the Collector for three months, although
Sir 1111 Csirtis's immediate predecessor had
retained them only two months. It was not un-
natural that the Court of Aldermen shoals' appoint
one of their own body to the office, and who could be
more eligible in point of security that Sir William
Curtis r Wilde, he was appointed by the Court of
Alderm n, and to them only was be at-•ountable; and
the Committee should hare confined themselves to a
recommendation of a change of system, Mill not have
passed a censure on Sir Wm. Curtis'e character. The
Comosit tee t.ught to hare confined their Report to a
recommentlatiou of a change of system, and not have
gone int,. a question of character; as, if such a pro-
creding was to be supported, no officer of the Corpo-
ration could be safe. He pledged himseil to the
Court that be bad not had any communication on this
subject with Sir Wm. Curtis, hut was only actuated by
a sense of justice towards him.
Mr. Sheriff Wamsatax, Mr. FA YELL, and Mr.
Oh: Ham defended the Report upon the precise grounds
'feted therein.

Mr. T. N. WILLIAMS Ligloly disapproved of the
con►luct of the Court of Aldermen, but thought ti.:!
lauttaage of the Report too severe and inteasperate.
Mr. Lucy,`, All man ATKINS, Mr. T. Bostasoz,
Sir HUNTER, and Mr. S. Dixos, defended th. con-
duct of the Court of Aldermen as strictly consistent
and roper. he latter Gentleman said, that if the
Commit:re had confined themselves tb that which had
been referred to them for their consideration, namely,
to find out the best method of collecting these funds,
he should, perhaps, have had little to offer against the
Itrp••rt. He asked, what would the Citizens benefit by
the money being immediately paid into the bands of
the Ch.►►uberiain, if ►Then so pal I it was not iannedi-
etely applied ins:ead of the appiicatiou of the funds
being made every three wand's ? The figet Was, that
the /ion. Baronet had committed a fauh for which I►e
n•oul.l never he forgiven. He had some blow or other
obtained a seat in Paliament. tk (Mr. Dimon) load
asked the Hon. Baronet the other ofa:., whether be
could not get rid ►of the Report by vgral iss4 Iris seat in
Parliament, to which observation he replied ito bisown
abort way, '• I'll bra!—oil if I d.►."
Mr. FAVEL:. 111:4 .5 owe Utlterlll:jUllS On WA awe.

~
P.; sa.d itrzimsr died on the 'lre. fold I"

dote, Widcb gale the to iathei an ancourtcous alterca-
tion between the two spiakers.
Mr. Dtill,l Primped, and mid that he world not
agree to the Report on account of i•s personalities.
Mr. °Lotus's supported the Report.
Alter some further observations from Mr. Hon-
cosset, the Amendment for t!se previous (bastion was
put and negatived by a considerable majority.
Another amendment was snored by Mr. Dixo,t, that
the report slsonld be referred basin to the Committee
This was else negatived.
An Amendment wis then moved, that it should be
referred back to the committee, to cotudder of the pro-
piety of the payments being mad. sneethly. This
amendment WAS also negatived, std the report was
Y reed to-
The lliswestneAßtill stated, tbat a Select Commktee
of the [biome of.Coessuseas-traibeess appoietell-miasiow
to London Bridge. when the Coert agreed I. petition
Parlistnegt, preying to be heard before the said com-
mittee, &ad it was referred to the Bridge House emu-
tnittee to prosecute the same as they *ball be advised.
Mr. John Bleaden was appointed a Governor of St.
Thomas's Hospital.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—Tucatimr, Fs.. ff.

The Qneen'n Annuity was on the motion of the
Earl of LIVEII POOL, read a third time and passed.
A 3lessage, stating the concurrence of their Lordships
in the Bill, WWI sent to the Botts* of Commons by
Mr. Jestiee Bayley and Mr. Baron barrow•.

The halt, tic.- Duties Hill, and the Transfer of
Wants Hill, 11 rre read a third time and passed.

Petitions were presented by the Alarcirps of Gans-
down from Neath (tilaniorgansLire), for the restora•
tion of the Qneen to her tights ; and by Lord flolland
from Incorporation% of failors, Shomnakers, Weavers,
&c. of Perth, for a siao;ler object, also the dismissal of
Ministers and an inqui. y into the state of the nation.
—Ordered to lie upon tile 'Fable.
Lord 11%r...int SI 0110I:TII laid upon the Table
It, turns of Proseetvions un kr the Came Laws.

Lord 1f01)..ANI) gar:. tiotive for 31iitiday, of his
intentioa to preiient. a Bin fir extending the provi-
sions of an Ac; of ‘Villiaai ri.sspecting Trials for
'frisson to Irelanit.
CO) DUcT ttl? Tit E ALLIED POWERS.

The ilarqu, ss of LAXSIDOWN said, he felt it sh-
solosely necessary to briny forward a motion, with
the view of declaring the opinion of that House re-
si►erting the conduct of the Allied "Powers at Troppau,
and with regard to Naples. lie therefore gave notice
of his intention to sahmit a motion to their Lordships
upon this subject on Tuesday next. The object of
Lis progbaitiossieither by address or otherwise, he
Ad ant yet hno which) would. not be tiny Censure
upon his Majesty's !litsisters, nor any thing retro-
spectivv, bat provpec:icely to declare, that cooduct
like that pursued by tin. Allied 'Power's was contrary
to the fnenlausentil policy of this country, and con-
trary to the true policy of Europe.
The Lords were ordered to he summoned for Tues-
day.
Adjourned lit' to-morrow (this day.)
1101.S1E OF COMNONS.—TiturtsDAv.

Mr. James Grattan, eldest son of the late Right
Ilonourahle Ilenry Wotan, took the oaths sad his
seat fur the County of

DISTRVAS.
Mr. SCOTT presented a Petition from Bexhill, and
another fr.mii Hastings, in Sussex, cot Waining of
Agricultural thstress.—Ordered to lie on /he Wile.
Sir E. I►NATCIIBULL presented several Petitions
from Kent on the same snhject. The Ifonotiridile Ba-
ronet stated at. some length the great distress to
which the agricultural interests were subjected, aril
impressed upon the House the necessity of paying im-
mediate attention to the state of the country.
Ale. CUKIVEN said, the distress was of a general
nature; there was no class of society exempt from it.l
Whilst he lamented the cause of them, he rejoiced to,
see 4444 natty petitions presented from all parts of the
country, bevause he hoped that they would force on
Ministers the considerition 4.f the subject. Looking
at the miserable state of the people, he u as. lic COD-
fess..(l, astonished to find persons of intimation and
ability, talking of the prosperous state of the coati-
try—:u him the matter seemed altogether itieunspre.
lie was convinced that the opinions of such
inn were founded on a fallacy. The Petitions on the
Tali:es shored the wretched state of the Connty of
liens; if the agrieult oral interest was so depressed
in that county, what must be the state of the people
in every other part of England?
After a few words from Sir C. KNATCHUCLia.

Mr. ELLICE (('oventr)) 'al.', that the Worm
would recollect that in the year 1 le, there was an in-
cri.ise in the Excise beyond the ten otl.er rears. '1 he
remedy applied to relieve the distrers that had the two
years before been pressing upon th.. conotry were, to
use the words of the Lhauce:lor of the Exchequer him-
self, by putting a guinea in the i;oc!.et of every man in
the country.—(.l laugh.)--The lion. Gent. ful-
filled his pledge by inundating the country wi;11 paper
money—(bear)—the effects of which were ultimately
to promote the very distress under w:uelt the country
laboure:l. Ile feared that lie would draw down upon
himself the attacks of those who served on the tlullion
Committee ; but it was his cutivi..tion, and therefore
lie would openly state it, that that Committee had been
guilty of one great error—that error was in calculat-
ine the price of gild of that day with its ancient
valor. In 1816 the consequences of an enormous ex-
penditure were the bringing into this country a great
qe..titity of the precious metal. In the preceding
year, the Government owed to the With the sum of 30
millions—that sum was reduced to 18 milliont whilst
the state of the public balances ultimately reduced it
to six millions, a sum much lower than the debt of the
present one due front the Government to the Bank.
rilev is:4netl nine or ten millions in coi::, which check.
ei the e.:'ect of the issue of paper with respect to fir.
reign Exchanges, as well as :he price of gold in this