The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-06-22 00:00:00

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.r IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

‘4l 'TIOVSE OF LORDlE—TmuaspAr.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a Report
fr.►m the Conitnittee of Privileges, stating, that the Berl
of Ormond and Viscount Molesworth had established

their claims to vote for the Election of Irish Representa-
tive Peer,.—Received and agreed to.
Mr. napalms and others, brought np from the Com-
:tints., the Vagrant Laws Amendment Bill, the Ordnance
kandi Bill, the Naval Stores Bill, the Exchequer Bills
8i,14 the Irkli Public Coal Yards Bill, the Sinking Loan
onr, the Ea%t India Trade Regulation Bill, the Irish
'1 mutury Bills Bill, the Coal Mines Bill, and several
tivate Bilk—Read a first tint,.
The Thames Lcstage and Ballastage Bill was read a
s-coed time.

II Vie Irish Insolvent Debtors' Bill, the Poor Employ-
tit Bill, the Irish Stamp Duties Bill, and the Justice
tic the Peace Regulation Bill, were read a third time,
tailised and sent to the Commons.
CAPITAL PL; NISI I MENTS.
The Order of the Day for the second reading of the
Dwelling Hous•s Robbery Bill, having been read,
The Marquess of LANSDOWNE said, that as be
should follow np the second reading of this Bill by
• a.
moying that the Navigable Rivers Robbery Bill be
atsb read a second time, and as the two Bills were
founded on the same principle, he should embrace
them tenth at once in the observations which he had
to etre: to their Lor.lships. Recommended as they had
lat.eu by the ether House, yet he should have thought
it hecessary to state the grounds on which those mea-
sures had been introduced, even if he had not had to

apprehend. what he regretted to find he should have
to cr:connter, a powerful opposition to their being
• adopted. The first was intended to repeal an Art
passed in the reign of Queen Anne, which made steal-
sog in dwelling-houses a capital offence. It was pro-
roec I to take away the penalty of death, and to sub-
stitkte the penalty of transportation. The other was
to reseal an act passed in the 4th year of George
which made stealing on navigable rivers a capital
tefferice. In this case the penalty of death was also
to lie abolished, and that of transportation fur life,
with imprisonment and hard labour, to he enacted in
its stead. The operation of the Act was also to be
Extended to robberies committed on canals ; for as
Vie law now stood, canals enjoyed no share of the
pro,tection allotted to navigable rivers. lie need
• hardly inform their Lordships, that in making these
crations in the law, they would not be carried
.1 ttlwr than the particular cases which they
embraced. There were several grounds on
Which the necessity of the alterations now pro-
Posed could be made apparent. Their Lordships
!could find it most inconvenient and inexpedient to
maintain the penalty of death in the law, when that
penalty WAS in opposition with the public opinion. It
appeared from the Reports of the evidence examined
by the other Howse, that a general opinion prevailed
of our laws being too severe : that individuals felt
indisposed to call for their operation, and that in con-
4egrience a great deal of impunity ensued. He knew
t4rat the present Bill had been called a Bill for time en-
eouragcitnent of robbery; but he trusted that their 11
Lordships would see its true nature in the evidence
*hit+ had been produced upon the subject. They 1,
Mould find that a most respectable individual, and one
*hose opportunity of acquiring information could nut
t..e doubted, the Soli, itor for the Excise, had stated '
!bat since crimes had been made capital by the Excise'
Laws, an effect diametrically opposite to the intention
bad been produced, and the Excise and the Revenue
fild become less productive. Both, according to that
Veutlernan, " had been better protected by our former
tetity than by our present rigour." It had also been
proved that in cases of stealing in dwelling-houses, as
itealing to the amount of forty shillings was a capital
uffence, prosecutors either withdrew their prosecution!,
lir juries violated their oath, and found that the value
of the stolen property was only thirty-nine shillings.
h order to ensure comparative security to the person
accused, even in cases in ss !rich that property consisted
of hines. silver, and gold, and might at once be known
to be worth twenty times that sum. Was that a system
ividoll their Lordships would u is's to maintain ?
Would they continue to place honest men in a situation
In which they found themselves compelled so to act ?
I:7e advantages of the alterations proposed were not
matter of speculation truly. There was evidence be-
fo•e their Lordships to prove that in all cases in which
tfic severity of the punishment had been diminished,
the law had become more efficacious. In ISM the
tftleachtersof EnAand and Ireland had applied to Par-
liament, stated that they suffered greatly, not from the
want of proteotion, but from its amount. They
prayed that the law might be altered, and the penalty
if death' removed. That had been done, and the rt-
snit thereof had been, that whilst every other species
of crimes had increased, that of robbing bleaching
rounds hail greatly diminished. On comparing the

cyfr•nces which had taken place in laneashire during
fife 5 rears which preceded the remission of the pe-
halty t,f dealt), and the Ate that followed, it appeared
tint in the first period those offences amounted to 28,

and in the hitter to 9. In the first five years the num-
ber of acquittals had been one-third of the whole ; in
the last five years there had not been one single ay-
tuittal. Could their I,iirdships acribe this fact to any
(thee cause than the increased efficacy of the law in
consequence of the severity of its provisions having
keen softened? In the lire Northern Counties of Ire-
land the same effect hail been produced. In the five
rears preceding, the abolition of the penalty of death,
number of offences in bleaching grounds amounted
I, out of which only three had been convicted.
;he five years following the alteration in the law,
number of offences had diminished orne-half-; and
of conviction had increased five-fold. The opi-
of those whose property was in danger, could not
Sail to have considerable weight. IVben it was fuend,
therefore, that in ano.her House where so many Mer-
',ants and Bankers sat, the present Bills had been
(stied without a division ; that the Commons of the
y of Landoll, who might be considered pretty good
iges on the subject, had petitioned their Lordships
I the .other House to remit the penalty of death ;
that no counter petition had proceeded fyom tiny
.of the empire, it could not be doubted that those
nose interests onght to make them most click-
Ighted, were convinced that they would not be then
he proposed alteration is the Alietigg szatar.
same arguments would apply to the other it ill
4 'cnnsidering boll Bills ealenlated .to introsie the
;Roe, of the law, lie should therefore "re4tinaehd aid
ye, that they be rri.i a seconillinse.

• rrti

11w LORD CHANCRLLOR said, that, after Slat
bad fallen front the Noble Marquess, it was not without
considerable pain that be stood up to direberge that
which be considered to be his daty, and to state that be
coda not give his assent to the present Bills. He was
ready to allow that if the measure bad the effect of pre-
venting the crime, if it had sufficiently prevented it, or
could possibly prevent it, it ought to beadopted : bat
their Lordships would do well to hesitate before they
adopted it. Previous to his attendance on the Recorder's
reports, he had held the opinion that the criminal laws
of this country might be made more lenient without pre-
judice to the public security; bat after nineteen years
attentive observation he had been induced to alter his
sentiments on the subject. It was said that the punish-
ment awarded to a man who 'night break into a house,
or out of a house, and carry from thence property to the
amount of 40s. was too severe. But that same crime,
though diminished in one ease, was susceptible of great
aggravation in others. For though from the first house
the sum stolen might scarcely be missed, yet the offender
might thence proceed to a cottage and deprive its in-
habitant of all his little savings, which were destined
to support himself and his family during ill health,
poverty, and all the evils which the possession of his
hard earned pittance would have alleviated. Burglary
was. without doubt, a crime of a very serious nature,
and to constitute it there needed nothing farther thau the
act of breaking into or out of a house after dark. But
cases had occurred in whi:h there was no breaking in or
out of a house, and yet the mischief done to individuals
was ten times greater than if a burglary had been
committed. Within a few months a case of this nature
had occurred, in which, by the gradual pillage of hi:
master, a servant has established another with a stock
in trade. He felt assured that it was impossible to
meet a greater evil with sufficient severite wi ii 'set
comprehending in the same punishment tiviN of a
much less magnitude. In the course of his expeti-
core he had seen very little unwillingness on the part
'of individuals to prosecute or Juries to convict. lout
the greatest real and anxiety after conviction, t:•.0 the
law might be dealt out with the utmost lenity, so that
it frequently required the utmost firmness on the part
of the Judges to resist that occasionally tuisp aril
humanity. On those grounds, however he ;DLitt
regret it, he could nut give his vote for the second
reading of the Hill.
The Earl of 'AERNARVON observed, that in the
speech of the Noble and Learned Lurd not one word
had been adduced in answer to the clear and con.
vincing statement of his Noble Friend, with re.pect
to the less frequent orcarrence of theft in the blew: Bing
grounds of Lancashire. since capital punishment had
been commuted to one of a wilder nature. Number-
less instances had come to his knowledge uf iodisi
duals refraining from punishing these injuries, because
they were obliged to prosecute those who
morally did not deserve the utmost severity of Ow law.
Such had been his own intuition, and he gas well
assured that the same feeling los..•vaileil very generally.
The present Bills should therefore have his hearty
support.

Viscount SIDMOUTII was at a loss to conceive upon
what 'utmost% the Noble AL:nines% founded big proposi-
tion, that the severity of the haws produced an increase
of crime. In his opinion, .the great incentives and en-
conragement to the cosonsission of crimes moo, from
the confidence n ith which the criminal caleukted on
his escape from capital punishment, to which might he
added this insufficiency of secondary pitnishmetit. The
Noble Lord then alluded to the case in which servants
load secretly robbed their master% for months and years,
and stated that since their execution. no crime of that
nature bad beem•ivetreght before the Courts of Motive.
—With reopen to the ether Bill relating to rob-
beries on natigaltle tivers, these crimes bad increased
some tune since to a rerr ert•at extent. Since several
daring characters had been detected and brought to
punishment, with the exception of one or two recent
instances. no robberies of that kind had been ent.nnitted.
The punishment of deltas was !icier inflicted but under
circnmstances of great aggravation, and the excellence
of the ryrtons consisted in the discretion left to the
Judger. who, with the power of inflicting. a tire:stiltsl
punishment, might measure it scent ding to the circum-
stances of the case. • Desirous, as he tens, of protecting
the property of his fellow-ruhleets, hr dared not agree
to the second reading of the Bills.
Lord I.:ALTHORN:. defended the propriety of the
measure, and conceived the Bills strongly entitled to the
support sat hire House.
Lord KINII thought. that the licts slated by the
Noble Viscount opposite proved the neceskity of passing
the present measurer, instead of justifying the conclu-
sion to nisiob that Noble Viscount bad eoine.

The Marquess of LANSDOWN replied.
After a few words in explanation from the Lonn
Cuixerii.ox ctrl Vlsooaat Siumourit, the House

Contents 17, Non-Contents7, klajority against the
Bi t 10.--,Adjoornefl.

1..• •

COURT 01..F0M.yox convcii.
t..
Yesterday a Conrt of ton Council was held at
Guildhall, for the dispatch-or bu•iuess.
Mr. (knits m s3lll, that Ice niulerstuod the Committee
of the Mouse 4,Connuons bad come to a Resolution to
recommend that London Bridge should be rebuilt.—
Now be must apply to the Court to come to a d:trerent
conclusion, as no evidruce had been giveu before the
Committee of flit Muse of Cumulous to ir arrant the
demolition of layslon
Mr. FAvEt.t. CoMptaineJ, that a high legal officer of
the City, had travelled out of the hue of au awful avid
solemn ditty, to eulogise a Society, self-styled " Coogan-
totional.- Ile also complained, that the ( ity Surveyor
1:3(1 stopped the execution of an order of the Coott, fur
an inscription respecting ;he unconstitutional bringinr
of troops into the City. lie moved that the order be ful-
filled forthwith.
Mr. Iluticom BE seevuled the utot:uo, which was car-
riril after sonic discstspion.
Upon a Report from the General Purposes Committee,
the Court dircetril. the •Dcpaties and Countion Council
of the several ‘Vaids,.to pike returns to the Secondaries
Office of such pepsin; within their respective Wards, as
were qualified to serve on special Juries, and to do so ip
ftsture annually.
The Court unanimously directed the Chamberlain to
pay to Mr. Templet siveltaihisreper. the snot of one
hundred and likrisetseinisnr anassin, in cewsideration
of his long and faithful sorvices, is ashlitiou to his pre-
sent allowances. „,
t ona ,
The Report of the; Inmovenscnt_.mittre of the
Arrangements matteldi contletitif the improvements in
end near St. Ittietintlit-Matnl, rdineeted with build-
ing a new Post4PAlef tier!. tasti aiefred to, bad referred
hack to be carried into ontentiorst at* to consider the
best means tor rainigg *stump,
An inquest was held on Wednesday evening, at the
Ben Johnsen % Ho& Seep's". below-Mr. Cowin. Co.
Ontrer, On titr I%ttroT a Mikis* glenterl appearance
(name isiticndstal 'Mind In dieftegir's Canal. near
• s
4\
13411-sonsoi)s,•nd..ig re,druilibe'aten
and troiind'ed, , der.aeitiat sows
per,on or persons unknown.

L.411° INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF KING'S BENCH. Julia 41.
WARM/ V. BARRON AND °Texas.
This was an action of assamptil against the defend-
ants, Directors of the Hope Fire Assurance Company,
recover a loss by fire in the plaintiff's house, N 0.5,
Argyll-street, Oxford-street, on the 27th August, 1820,
under a policy of Assurance, executed for 12001. osk
Isousehold goods, &c. on the 9th of May, 1820.
This case excited very general interest from the
singularity of the circumstances under which the fire
occurred. The trial lasted from half-past nine in the
morning until seven o'clock in the evening. The
plaintiff's case was conducted by Mr. MINIVAN, hit.
CURWoon, and Mr. ADnl.Plit'S; and the defendants
by Mr. MARKTATT, Mr. ticanar, and Mr. POLLOCK.
The particulars of the case have already been before
the public. The plaintiff, a young man, of twenty-
six years of age, had been a surgeon, in Argyll-street,
where lie had taken a house, No. 5, in December,
Ibl9 ; and then insured hix furniture, plate, linen, Ike.
in the defendants' office for 6001. In the month of
February, 1820. he married a Miss Goodchild, the
daughter of a respectable Gentleman of that name re-
siding at Ilaumeersinith ; and in consequence of addi-
tional property then purchased, he doubled his insur-
ance to the amount of 1200/. On the night the fire
took place, his ti ire was from home at her father's
house. He was then afflicted with inflammation in his
%yes, and had sent his two servants, man and wife to
bed, intending to relieve the pain in his eyes, by ap-
plying leaches to his temples. which he did accord-
ingly ; and when lie was retiring to bed, about half-
past twelve at ti glit, he was called to the door by a
person who desired his immediate attendance upon a
Ivall, a:: innkeeper in the City, an old patient of
the plaintiffs. lie exrnsed himself by saying that it
was impossible fur him to leave his house that night
Irons indisposition, but that lie would wait on Mr.
frail in the morning. The person at the door then
said he bad run vertu fast, was warm, and asked for
some su.all beer to .11inli. The plaintiff gave him his
choice of bee:. or cyder; the man chose the latter. Ile
was let in ; the plaintiff It rapped a towel round his head,
and went down stairs to draw sonic eviler, le.a‘iag the
stranger in the hall, and on his return ty t;te I.itcheti
stairs It., received a violent blow on the lie of v.shirlm she-
pri vet! hint a his set. srs. recoveriityslant t tva hours
afterwards, as he snpatmoell, he font's' the house in 11 Ansel
and was ahroost suffocated v.ith beat :mn.l ‘mitulse. Ile
attempted to escape by the front of the house, but
could not advance from the density of the smoke;
then crawled into the bark kitchen, an in the terror
of the moment lie raised hiaiself by means of a twat
screen to a sky light, broke the glass, and escaped
into the adjoining house. The house was discovered to
be on fare between 1 atul ! in the flaunting: the neigh-
bourhood was alarmed, and the plaintiff'; sery cuts
cseai•ed in a state of nullity The plaintiff himself
was olds-411g for about three quarters of an hour, and
was at len;:th found in the passage of time adjoining
house, covered with !.1.c..)(1, his clothes wet, with two or
three ‘‘t.iintl4, as from a dagger, on his breast, and in a
state of mental dcrang.•iten:. lie was taaken to a
neielibutir's house, and medical assistance procured;
he afterwards sent in his claim for the loss, the house
and furniture bring completely destroyed. IL's loss
was estimated at 16001. and he delivered in vouchers
fur goods des'r..ted to the amount of about 10001.—
The defeutlauts resisted the claim on account of the ex-
traordinary and apparently incredible manner in ►which
ti:e a•at supposed to have occurred. The deknd•
ant. now resisted the claim on two grounds : first,
diet the plantiff had attempted to support his claim by
fraud and perjury, contrary to the provisions of the
pulley: and second, that lie was himself incendiary.
Several witnesst a were examined on both sidts; on
the one hand, to p ove the bona Airs of the plaintiCs
case; and on time other, the Dislltt
The case w..iit to the Jury under he Learned Judge's
directions, awl after retiring for about half an hour,
the Jur% found their verdict for the plaintiff—Damages
1200!.

CO. ON ITION Cit.tta.—This ancient seat, which is
generally known by the name of "St. Edward's
Chair," is what is placed before the Altar, and is that
in which the King is ~.eatetl, on the solemnity of the
Coronation being performed. It is now being. fitted
up fur the purpose, according to orders received us
Saturday ; the style adopted during the last 400 years
(all the documents illustrative of this curious .qnsl in
teresting subject having hero very recently 4i-scoured)
will be followed. This being the first Coronation since
" the Union between Great Ittitain and Ireland," there
ill be additional ornaments in the back of the Chair;
the ornaments will consist of an equal admixture of
the Rose, the Thistle, and the Shamrock.
Sr. Pvt.l.'s Csrusuttat.—At length the task of
taking down the cross and ball, from the top of the
Cathedral steeple of St. Paul's has been accemplished,
without the loss of life. or limb. The cross was taken
lo pieces some days ago, but to displace the ball ap-
peared a ;natter of much greater labour and difficulty.
It washuilt of multiplied sheets of copper, strong
j
fastened with immense copper bolts, rivitted on each
side; and there was but one division, consequently it
was taken down in halves, each half measuring six
feet in diameter' The materials were much corroded,
and must have soon given way nnder the immense
,eight. On Wednesday afternoon th. ball was taken
down and rolled along the street in Ludgate-hill, iu
the presence of thousands of spectators, to the founders,
u here a new ball and cross are making upon an ins
proved principle. la the meanwhile, the scaffolding
will remain, and rota' other necessary repairs will
take place.
ITALIAN BEOUING llovs..Some foreigners who ac-
knowledged that they had brought front Italy the mi-
serable boys who hate so long infested the streets of
the metropolis for the ezpr ss purpose of employing
them to beg, in order to receive the fruits of their
idleness, attended yesterday to request the release of se-
veral of them who had lately bee. committed to prison.
They were very properly reprehended in terms of seve-
rity, and regret was expressed that the law did not
warrant their imprisonment as well as that of the boys,
for whom tiovernment is to provide a Tassel to take
them back telt:ay. . .
INer..—The anfortinate duel which we stated yes-
terday, is said to have been occasioned by the siesoli.
cited. attention of tho cattails tq a lady is the com-
pany of Mr. It ,on Tues:hty evening, attlia.Opera
Must.,

4TTEMPT 31CliDER AMOR-GEN. RABOX.
MARLIIOIIOCOIII-fiTtatT.--Yeatenlar Irm. Pad ,
the person charged with attempting to assassinate Ma.
jor-General Endo'', was again brought up in order that
he might hear the evidence of the General, who was
ficiently recovered to attend at the office. He appeared
to be in a very weak condition, in consequence of the
wonnds he received. and both his hands were in band,
ages. Sir W. Radon, Bart., accompanied the General,
and several persons of distinction were present to beer
the proceedings.
From the evidence of the General, it appeared that tat
prisoner had lived several years in India, as servant with
the General, but being much addicted to drunkenness
was at length discharged for that vice. He had fir
some time proved a great annoyance by calling in as
inebriated state at the General's house, and acting in the
rudest manner. On the day he committed the outrage,
he called early at the tienerars,honsee and left it as the
General was at breakfast, saying, that he would call
again in about half as hour, which he did. The General
went into the hall to the prisoner, who accused him of
leaving seduced his wife. The General assured him it
was false, and endeavoured to pet-1;11.0e him to the roe.
trarv; and when he was ea the point of leaving tits.
about three paces distant from him. the prisoner rushed
on him with great violence with a hittelier'r pig.stickiag
knife in his hand. Hamilton, the General's present aft.
rant, repeated the detail of the subsequent circumstances
as has been already stated.
During the examination the prisoner seemed to ray
little attention to what was going forward, hat tea;
sullen, and kept looking through the parkinr-itimiew, as
if attracted by something in the street. On the Magistrate,
J. E. Conant, Esq., asking him whether he Aloe to say
any thing in his defence, he answered rather Amply,
" t don't wish to say any thing byre," and milk his hat
in order to quit the room. The 313ri,trate hinted that
lie had no doubt but the prisoner was perfectly aware of
the very serious etiolation he which he was placed, 'ail
told him that he had been guilty of a c.ipit.il offence.
The prisoner appeared to be very firm.
The General, Sir William and tl,e now,,
were bound over to appear before the (fraud .Inry, at the
Sessions House: anal in rase the Bill heiin found
true, afterwards to appear and give evidence at the
Old. Bailey.

C k?.

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