Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-04-23

her or their Name, or Names respectively
ON the e2d day of February, 1899, in the
Books oithe Governor and Company of the
Bank of England and provided also, thai
such Proprietor or Prnprietors, SO absent from
the United Kingdom, or out of Europe, shall
claim such right within ten days after his, her.
| or their return to the United Kingdom
"That provision be made by this house for
paying OF such proprietor or proprietors of the
said per cent. Annuties as shall signify his
ner, ar their dissent from accepting and re-
ceIving any share in the said new 4 per cent
Annuiiies in lieu thereof. And in case ofany
transfer ot such shares, ar any part or parts
thereof after such dissent, the part or parts so
tranferred shall be entered in the said books
under The same Numbers as were affixed To
such shares when the disseniient proprietor or
proprleiors, or his, her, or their assigns, under
any such transfer, shall be- paid off in the uu
mericai order III which his, her, or their name
or names shall be entered in such book, such
payment To commence On the 9TH day of July,
l822, and to he continued 1T such periods and
in snch manner as parliament may direct
All executors, administrators, guardians, and
trustees, may signify such dissent in respect of
such shares of the said five per cent annuties.
for the holding of which their names are made
use OF Respectively, and al executors, admin
istrators, guardians, and trustees, not signify
lng such dissent, shall be deemed 20 assent as
aforesaid, aud shall be unidentified in respect
thereof"
| After Il short explanatory discussion, the
resolutions were agreed to- "T'his plan" the
Chancellor stated, "would relieve the coun-
Try to the amount of one million, one hundred
and fifty thousand pounds, independent ofthc
Irish flee pr cents. which amounted to ninety
thousand pounds more"
| MIR. James, member Of the British house
oil Commons, 90 the 25th of February, rose
pursuant to notice, and stated, "Tliat several
letters, which had hecn directed to him
by prisoner confined in Lancaster gaol land
who had been punished with two years i'm
prisonmcnt for attending Il reform meeling)
had been opened by the gaoler and that sew
iera letters which he had directed to that pris-
oEer, had been served in The same manner In
one OF the instances TO which he alluded, The
letter had been entirely suppressed" Mr..
James cXplained that this practice of opening
letters, had originated fr0m an order of the
magistrates who visited the prison, but as
! number of gentlemen of that house consider
I'D ii "a breach nj privilege, he had decided on
bringing forward his motion in the present
shape.
8. Tic should therefore move, that it is the O.
pinion Oh thIs House, that any person or persons
breaking open, OBTAINING or SURPRISING any let
ter or letters, addressed by or to IA Member of
Fariitmeni is guilty Ola breach of privilege"
liz The course o! The debate which ensucd on
this motion, Sir Robert Wilson stated that in
the first year I'll William and Mary, l1689l il
was resolved hy the House of Commons.
= that the breaking open ola lrtcr, sent by.
~ directed To one of its members, was gross
infringement OF the privileges ofParliament."
Alter such resolution, there could be no
DOUBT OF breach Of pri, llege having been
81.
cOmmiitcu IN the present instance. Mr..
3rouSham, MIR. DennIan, and other oppos
ton members supported the same doctrine.
| MIR. Brougham, insisted that the Split of
the resolution tof 1850 clearly meant, that
The communication between members of par
llameht and The country at large should be
| irec-tilat their doors should be throwD open
Tor every species of cOmpant-that all per
sous aSsrieved should have free access tn
them, which they never would have, if their
correspondence were violated by the agenfs
OF the post Office, or of government or any
public servants of whatever denomination -
Ana Mr. Denman urged, that il would be use
less Tor AN unfortunate prisoner TO attempt to
complain, through member. to Parliament.
of cruelty and Injustice, il the statement of
his grievances must first be submitted TO the
very party complained OF, his gaoler, who
might throw il in the fire, aud SO destroy the
only record of his misdolngs
Inc Marquis OF Londonderry, the Attorney
General, Lord Stanley, Mr.. Peel, and other
ministerial members, contended, that it vas
not breach of any privilege which ought to
exist, 10 prevent Il correspondence between
members and persons in prison, convicted of
ohenccs-that such a privilege would tie liable
to great abuses-that the magistrates visiting
Saols, were authorized, by an act of Parlia-
meDt, to make rucs for their better regula-
ton, which, after being approved of by the
Judges of Assze, should become, and have
the elect of Iaws--tllat the rules under which
letters wcrt opened had been so made and a,,.
proved-and that members having no right TO
communicate personally with confined cul-
prlts, could not legally have right to COM
nunlcatc by letter.
Mr.. Peel moved the previous question, and
when the house divided, the numbers were
For the motion, 60
Against il, f67
Majority, 1917