The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-05-20 00:00:00

CNIMINAL LAN‘IS.

Sir J. 3I.ICKIN.FOSII brought in a Hill to repeal
th :19tli of Elizabeth, the 2lst of James 1., the tilt
aml Wh of Ifeor)4e 1., and the:ith,
of tieurge 11., relative to capital tel;ini. 4.—R: ad a
first lime, atvl or:lvrea to he read a servnil ;he.
f June:— Ile then brought in atioilo•r I:iil, in ie.
ferenvc to the same subject, for repeali ;nA. t pass-
cif in the reign of Charles 11. and the of tioorge
a first lime, and ordered to I.e iead Liaise
oil the sth of June.

'lie Ilan. and Learned Member next w:tlitirew the
woke be had given of a motion for a Bill to consoli-
date a I Cie laws relating to forgery ; anti brought in a
Bill, the object of which was to mitigate 1::e severity
of punishment in rases of forgery and other 'limes;
and also for more effectually detecting the forgery of
note, and bills.—Read a first time, aril ordered to be
read a second time o❑ the s:h of June.

31r. FR EEMAN TLE, after a few observations wh.efs
were not audible in the gal:ery, presented a petitlo-i
front an intlividua. named John Lown(L•s Mackay,
stating that the petitioner had fur the last 23 years
b.mn enipt.yed in plans fir improving the roads. a di
prayiag for some remnaeration fur his s- rvices.—ite-
f•rml to the t'onttnittec of the Roads anti Highways.
Bo OCCII or Sr. petiti,n was present:4
on the p:trt of Sir W. STIRLING, praying that the
time allowed for ente.ing into reetignir. nets upon his
petition against the return of one of the sitting Mem-
bers for the Borough of St. Ives, might be enlarged
till Tuesday, the 234 of 31:te, in consequence of a so-
vere domestic affliction, wfdeli prevented hint from
conforming with the law within the time prescribed:
Sir W. STIRLING verified the petition at the bar,
and the prayer of it was t;ranted.
Mr. JERVIS presented a petition from certain at-
torneys residing. at Basingstoke, praying that unqua-
lified persons might not be allowed to practise as eon-
verance..s.—Laid on the table.
4:1 vit. Liter lit t.t..—( In the motion of Lord VAST: E-
RE.UiII. this Bill was read a third time, and passed.
1,1111VII•NCIIISEMENT OP GIL AIIIPOVND.

Lord Ji MN USSELL having ►owed the Or L r
of the Day for the woad reading of the firauti. utti
Disfraneltixement Bill, nest ntovtil that the IL o
duns of the sth of July, 1;419, in reference to t
question, be now read. The Clerk having done so,
an I also read the Order of the Dar fur th,: leave a ICA
had Leen obtained to !idol; in a Bill upon the •.th-
ject, hi, Lordship proceeded to observe, that tile Lets
he should lay before the House relative to the Borou, la
of tirampotutd, would, he doubted not, justify to the
fullest event the proposition he was about to sobu.it.
It was known that a petition had been rewrite.,
against the return fur this borough in the last Sessiot►
of the late Parliament, and tb, consequence was, t! at
the two •i:ting Members had been dimietalfictl; a hile
many of the v.•ters wer: prosecuted for hriberyeaut
found guilty. It was fro it this ele.tt de.uued neces-
sary to Lilo s nee decisive ,tep w.th rear I to the
voters tira►opoun.l, and a measure was j.. 0,1 )441
fur going into a Committee on the subject, iu
the Noble Lord oppo.i:c (Lord Castlereagh) e., tt-tr-
red. It had been proved before that C..uonittte, that
tins of money liad Lyn gisen to the voters at dif-
ferent times on the ;tart of Sir 'eh I.nt.ez,•a►.d
e..son aas de; uted him to collect thew, giving

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THE ST,

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them at the rate of Ea. each for their suffrage. With I population of 400,000 inhabitants. If towns of such
thi4 Mils, however, itappeared that many of them were I magnitude mid consequence were not to return Mem-
•not statislied, and threatened to give their votes to I hers to Parliament, how had it happened that our an-
another person unless they got snore money. One I restore, at a forsmir period, gave members to Chester
elrstor gut the Imbues of li3 persons who bud taken i and to Durham % Or did they suppose that oar au-
bribes; and of 56 individuals who were charged with ' cestors would not have conferred the elective franchise
the tact, not fetter than 47 had sums of 351. each I on the five boroughs alluded to, bad they been of equal
placed after their names. Of these persons 614 had ! tuiportaiser to focir time as they were at present i.
been found guilty of having, at various periods. re- j \lust assuredly they try till have alone so, and that even
vetted sums of money for their votes. Nor was thi% •in the reign of Chat lea 11. We ought to lose no time
practice of recent origin its thaw/now& for it ap- ! in gratifying the general wi-h far extending the repre-I
peered to have been of lung standing, and a 'mu of 1 sentatiots. It might, perhaps, be said by statue per-1
5.10011 r. had often been agreed upon : • the price of the ; soot, that the principle he proposed to he meted ni•wei
return of one Member; and 6,4110/. was the regailar would eke all that was necessary of Parliamentary
stipulation for the return of two seats. '1 hese 'farts • Reform, butt the dialerence a solid be, that Members
were neturients, and a tacitness ball proved in evidence. 1 woithl be sent to the llama, to ask for wore, and urge
that one of the electors said hr " wished for elle time , the demand by other means than those which of late
o h. n they should be feeding again," %elicit meaut re-' had usibvittaately been resorted to.—(llear, hear '.)-
6t it tug tannery at a new election. Another witness ' But it was ol.jected to this me:taster, that it would be of
stated, that bribery was quite e :1 in lirampounti; ;no (1,11. to disfranchise mail towns, while the s..nees
:.tad when he was asked, whether three or time al the I practices of corruption ware c.seriell on in the large
voters haul received bribes? he replies!, 66 TI•S, may be I unea.—(s.ear !•—This, however, was no argument
three or tour." 'There was one circumstassee snore I against the principle, and he was persuaded, that
which he wished to advert to, which was, that 7,500/. ; from the proareasive spirit of itnprovement, and the
had been paid by two Members for Owls. .seats, vs ! more refitted character of the times, inatances of sordid
had beets pruned in evidence; and the great majo-; and base cur. option at elect' would soon herons,
city of the votes% had participated of this money. j very rare. The Noble Lord then ntiverteil to the polH
When, therefo,e, it was Couto', that such sums had j lie proceeding• which had lately taken place at Read-1
hr-ii given for 5441'11 a puti.ose, and that balm 5.1,00/. ; lug, and ha laid, that it the electors coutimird to art 1
to eS,OOOI. but regularly been paid in the same ,in the. • manner, they would eitioaually remove the
matinee, he thought there could exist no doubt i inform r eiti er of ~,,, ney or 411 the (love stet. in
V. hateVer on the mind 4 ;Leer Honourable 11011- ! one of 'hurl: resolutions, ars stated their tletermissa-1
bee present, of the grossest practices of bribery and ' tine to use every means for the purpose of diss•Jaering I
corruption having been e irried on intinampounti. But and extinguisthing every IC it illegal ietterferenee'
there was another pr..of of the fact, which was not less . with the elect on of 31eisilacrs fur that bon ugh. aall be
c..nyincing, namely, that when ag imiivideal at- 1 Was happy to find that they hail, ass a very short tittle,'
tzsupted to propose the Bribery I hltls. he was sat sisal- I collected by subseription a ..um of I,:sita, se th the
treated by the others, that he found the greatest dials. ! view of carrying their resolutions into et eats lie
4 idly in escaping wills 'tie life. !laving thus shown i would be extremely happy to See a siutilar line of Con.
a s.:64lng case to call fur the interference of the Ilonse, I duct adowesi its every part of the country. for he ili.l
hr should next proceed to cutositier of the remedy, I nut thin': tirauspound a solitary or au extraordistary
aide's it n toad he t r-ipeelient to asleep?, Pi, far as ' instance of rorruptinsi.--(llear, !war !)-- I; was not
Pie Borough in question was concerned. In doing i useemary to go low any impsiry it that so hjoet—
t hi-, he should revert to Otiose precedents whit+ had ; all that was to be done, was to prevent stn.!' slump-
lo-ett estahlislsed in similar CM'S. It W.:- nut tat be; lion, as far as the law allowed. It this %%ere door. it
C:',,Pctell, in a country like tisk where the elective I would afford Popot prospect of a fair st,:rc•entation.lool
Iran, laise was so generally exercised, that instances of I would materiality tcnd to restore and to ciimay the
i otruptiou should not occur, but they otialat to be 1 tranquillity of the conntry. An Ilasu. Priessil of his'
gnarled against, so far as it was Ivawalhic.—(liear, 1 (else /Mettler for Nortl Iserlana.) expressed las i:i-
lona !)..It appeared, however, that the loosen ss of I ignition to submit to the Hamar the propriety of trana-
so, It corruption had b en very rapid, fair we founal, in I ferriug the franchise, if it should las taken fruots Cram-
the reign of Eiizahrt It, an instance of a penalty laming 1 gonad, to the Nor,h and l' I.t Indio_ ef York, tastes,!
heels imposed for a bribe of 41. offered to the; reuniting ,of Leeds. Ile Bused .1. Ilessell) did iiii t think ilia:
officer to secure a seat for an intliv labial : whereas i the public would be s4I nand 111'111111i1'11 by dying. the
I oral Shaftesbury asserted that, :n his raw, 7,0001.1 franchise to that part of the I.lllllltry as t s the pietism%
loot been paid for a similar purpose.—(llear, hear')— I borough of Le-eds. Lowever, that question might be
To counterart practices of this description, which were 1 disettaaell at another stage of the liill. and hr should
1,.,w become too flagrat.t, a Bill was introduced in i row cum hole aids ustriog,that the Bill he now read a
I :7 I, when the borough of New Sliurelialii, in Sussex); seams! time.
was found to Ise notoriously cotrupt. I! WAS proved,l Lord taSTLEREAIiII rose, for the porpo,., of
i a the inatanee of that honour's, th .t the retnening I stating shortly to the Hoare the view which he enter-
aaticer returned a man oho tvLs utterly unfit for a seat I talon' of this Dill. Upson the original principle from
i:i the Legislatnre, and a Irene of anvil corruption was ; which the Noble Lord set out, there was in. differ.-tire
(II 41:105(411, SS p-rh spa had never before been exhibited. of opinion between the Noble Lord and hims..if. /loth
I appeared from the evidence upon the occasion, that I were agreed upon th a, that whenever a borough, in
an individual, oho represented himself a member of; the exercise of its rightt of election, is proved, to the
o :tat wee termed the Christian `curie:. a,:entisled all ! satialartion of the Hume., to have acted rorrosptly, it
t1..-..6 burgesses together, at.d soil thrtit to the highest • is the duty of the House to plush+ that h.o. usgh. so
b:dder.—(Hear, hear D-A hill was then brought far as to protect the parity of riertion ; and the only
i-: to disfranchise the laaroagh, though the burgesses ' thing that remained was to see what tits nature of that
w.:re allowed to be 11.•;:rd against it by l'otti.sel. The remedy 'night to be. The Noble Lord stateal, to-night,
Still having uadergone some modifirations, at the rug- 1 what course Poriiament had formerly t:iketi with IP.
gettion of llr. Muntegue and others, was sent to the i specs to three boroughs, New Shoreham, Aylesbury.
tizzy., where it met with the cordial support of Lord s and CI icklecie ; with those boroughs, he %aid. the
I anolen and Lord Chatham. There is still extant a House had dealt, and applied a eorrective by oproissa
1 miarkable expression of Lord Chatham with regard them to the adjacent distficts ; but be (Lord J. Kussell)
to the measure which the Bill contemplated fa r trans- thought it mere adviseable to depart from the estab-
e!rring the franchise to a place adjarant. Ile said he Halted practice of Parliament, and tat adopt up this
ass 66 glad to see New Shoreham brought back from occasion a new course, by transferring the right of
Bengal to Su-sex." It was then thought ail% iscable election aft .getber f Brampton's" to Leeds. The
to place the rights which the borough enjoyed, in \lemiter for Northumberland siitti•rvil with the Noble
te.l.er hands, and they considered, if such a ittrasstie Lord oat this pal of the question, awl wished to transfer
ware not atlooted, that the remedy tbe fruitless ; I the right of election to the North and East Riding of
itaon which the fr-neltise was Lansferred to the Rape Yorkshire. Ile (Lon' Cos le.eagl) would now shortly I
tit Bramber. l'iion that occasion 1►43 persons bad j state his opinion : and hr would at sonro fairly any,
',len eltar4ed with bribery ; and out of eighty-two, that it WAS iliffervitt from that entertained either by the
a tains: ohm's the charge was proved, forty-three hal I Noble Lord or the Member to • Northumberland. It 1
hero indicted. Ihe eveut 'weltered when Lord Rod:- seemed to he the N.: bile Lord's object to eirectuate pro i
josh's's' was in power ; and whets all examination took /unto a general principle of l'arliane istary Beforna. i
place in the House of Ler.ls, as to the diffarent sir- Now he (Lord C.) only wished to look at the subject I
4 a:natant:es cos:lle:teal with it, the Chaneellor urged I far the purpose of getting a:ldles-ma'. notely as to the
so many ohjections against the pro, owl isteacure, that t particular borough of 44rampennsl. Wisen the quits.
Lord Fortescue, old and feeble as he was at the time, tins was before limier the cousideration of the House,
coati up slid said, that lie nu longer considered him- it might be secolleeteal that be' expressed a wish that
stir in the House of Peers, but in one of the Courts of a Bill should he brought in applicable for a par-
Law, and that a Court alto ordinary description, but Ocular case, not going into a general pinciple,
one where the lawyers attempted to eternise a controul and he admitted that th .re might he local eirentn-
ovar the Judges. The Chancellor hr said, was made stances connected with Cernivall, which would pre-
via of nothing but suhtletses and contratlictioes. Its vent the Ito:ough of lining ound from lasing open-
quoting these words of Lend Fortese.ue, he did not ed to the adjacent district. 'fate Noble Lord, is-
mean to say that they could hear any relation to the deed, at that time, opened his case as be did tonight.
present t' -a, or ti the question before the House, fur- upon the ground of departing from the established
tber than as they sheaved how the subject lead been priuriple, anti of removing the right of election else-
treated at a former period by a nobleman of strict con- where. But be (Lord C.) then said, that his local
sfitutional principles. In the case relative to the knowledge of Cornwall did not enable pion to state
borough of Aylesbury, !i0 persons bad been convicted, . exactly whether such a measure might, or might not,
and n 3 less titan 200 implicated. He now came to .be necessary. The present was tha first ease that
consider what should he done with respect to (tram- came before them for opening any borough in Com-
pound. They had that day received a petition front wall, for the case of Peuryn waited u:stil this should
the burgesses : but after what had been adduced be disposed of, and the question now was, how it
against them, it was quite clear that the prayer of it should be dealt with ? lie could now say, that he saw
cent! not be attend, d to. No, the glory of tirasupound no insuperable difficulty which would prevent Oran.
was gone for ever ; the run which ripened its money pound from being opened to the adjacent district.
harvest bad art never to ripe again. No more would True it WAS that there were twenty-one borsinghe In
they see among theses a philanthropic Baronet, die- Cornwall, but in Wiltshire, where Cricklatle was open•
prniOng hit cash from motives of pure charity towards eel to the neighbonsing district, there were sixteen US-
the indigent ; no more would the wealthy merchants roughs; and where the borough of Aylesbury was
of Londoo contest that famous borough, at the risk of opened, there were sixtecu; so that the same objets.;
the lives of those persons who should propose the film might be nettle with re'pe'ct to opening thus
Bribery Oath. 'the freeholders of the adjacent bun- boroughs as to llrtatupottnd. so far as the territotihil
needs could lay nociaim to the franchise thus taken neighbourhood of the right of election exists/at-4ichH
away, and if there were any rests where it might be Cricklarie was opened to five hundreds, in wh
ogrilieut to throw the votes into the hundreds, it was ' were foutud die boroaghs of llalusesahary and Wane.'
as y in counties where there was but one borough. too Basset, anti no inrovenienee was found to arise
Lorawall, bowever, was nut in that situation, for it from this circumstance. Hem* he felt himself war-
had other boroughs, and returned tea meinhersbesitlrs ranted in thinking, that there were no insuperable
the two for lirampoted. The best course which ap- difficulties in opening tiratopomod to two or three
peered to him was, to traoafcr the elective rights of hawked*, even thought they 'night be within other 1.0.
this borough to one of those towns whirls had grown roughs,. This was the moat common mode of Reform,
up In wealth and importance from various concurriug and the most consonant with the Constitution. He
circumstances. There were no less than tire of them. (Lord Castlereagh) herd it would be recollected that
which, though not represented, contained an aggregate he neva runru. red in the exp".lier, yof that measure;