Parliamentary Intelligenc...
The Times, 1824-02-07T00:00:00

Mr. T. WilLSON presented a petition from the irhabitants of Broad.street ward, in the city of London, praying for the repWM of the duty on coals. The same honourable member renewed the petition which was presented last session against the return for the borough of Bossiney. i\lr. AGAR ELLIS moved for a return of the asames of the pa- rishes in Ireland which had memorialized the Lord Lieutenant against the Irish tithes' eommutation hill, and also a specification of reasons for which the bil had been objected to. Mlr. GOULBURN observed, that in most of the instances it would be impossible to specify the reasons why the biUl had been objected to, because none had been given. 3ir. A. ELLIS said he was confident that the right hon. gentle- man would give him all the information in his power. The motioli was then agreed to. Al r. BYNG presented a petition from the parish of Edmonton, and another from the parish of Enf.eld, in Aliddlesex, praying for the repeal of the dutv on coals. Lord ALTHORP moved for some returns respecting the Irish revenue, which were ordered to be produced. Alr. AIA BERLY gave notice, that he would on the oth of Alay submit a motion respecting the mode of collecting the duties on beer anid malt. lie also gave a general notice, that if he were not anticipated by the Chance lor of the Exchequer, he would submit a project for simplifying the arrangements respecting the consolidated mud, by which a large suim might be saved to the public. Mr. UIE gave notice, that on the 9th of March he would move for the appointment of a committee so inquire into the extent of the church establishment ih Ireland, with a view to the reduction thereof. CONSULS. Alr. HUME asAed the Right Honourable Secretary for Fereign Affairs, when he would effect his long promised reformi, respecting British ConsulS abroad ? l r. CANNING replied, that he would submit a motion on the subject to which the honourable member alluded, during thecourse of tle present session, and at no distant period. In the mean time he ntight perhaps remove the lionoutable gentleman's uneasiness on one particular point, by telling Nm t hat he had already reduced the consular salaries. MlIr. HUAIE said, that it was no: so much the amount of the salaries as the manner in which they were paid, that he objected to. He disli'lcd the system of consular charges upon goods imnported. Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated, that on Wednesday, the 3d of M1larch, he would move for the production of copies of all commu- nications whichi had taken place between the French and the British Governments respecting the evacuation of Spain. Mlr. CANNING suggested that the despateli of public business would be greatly facilitated if hon. members on either side of the house woulId absutin fromr fixing motions oni Wednesdays, during the session, and allow those davs to be exclusively devoted to mea- sures emanating trom Govetrient. LordI JOHN RUSSELL acknotwledged the propriety of the right hon. secretary's suggestion; and theretore altered his notice from MVednesdlav, the 3d, to Thursdav, the 1 Ith of Mlarch. THE AUSTRIAN LOAN. Mr. JAMES begged to direct the attention of the Righlt Ron. Secretary for Foreign Affairs for a few moments to the sub,iect of enter., ll*L.lt h on. gent. !iu. un tnie tame a copy of'a convention entered into between tae Emperor of Austria and his Britannic Mllajesty, respecting the settlement of the Austrian loan, he (31Mr. James) fully expected that it was the intention of the right hon. gent. merely to submit that document to the house for its sanction. But he had since ascertained to his great surprise, that the agreement had actually been ratified by both the con- tracting parties. He wished the right honourable gentleman to answer this questionr-whether he did not think that he had acted illegally and unconstitutionally in advising his Alajesty to agree to that convention without consulting the house? (A laugh.) That might, perhaps, apear to be a very radical view of the case (a laugli); but he felt it his duty to state, that heconcelvet the right hon. secre- ary to have assumed II power which even dlr. Pitt, in the plenitude ff Is authority, had never dared to assume. If the right hon. gen- 1elm andI his colleagues_- AIr. CANNING said he would give the hon. member the answer which he required. The hon. member had asked whether ic (Nr. Canning) did not think that he had acted illegally and un. constitutionally in regard to the convention, a copy of which had been laid upon the table. The answer was " Decidedlv not." If the hon. member thouglht otherwise, he was of course at fiberty to bring the cnlbject before the house but then he hoped that the hon. member would give notice of his intention, and not proceed to discuss a mat. ter connected with the privileges of the Crown, at a moment when tile houise was quite unprepared to entertain such a delicate ques- tion. (Hear, hear.) Air. JAM1ES said, that he was not compelled to give a notice, asnd as it was not likely that any business would come before the. louse that evening, he thought the imiatter might as well be discussed at that tille. He repeated, that he considered the conduct of the right lionourable Secretary illegal. If minlisters had the right to 6ive up the claim of the people of England to a large sum of money iustly due to them,without consulting the House of Commons, then, vari ratijoe, they were entitled to levy taxes in like manner. It was itated in one of the articles of the convention, that his Alajesty was .t.itled to sue the Emperor of Austria in his own Court oIr the re- zovery of the debt. I-ad that been done ? He supposed it was very anlikelv that any tliing futrther would be obtained from Austria, ind he'therefore hoped,tblat in justice to other bankiupts, the name If the Emperor would appear in the Gazette. (Hear, and a lauglh.) FOPEIGN POLICY. Lord NUGENT observed, that since the house had, by agreeing .u the address to his Majesty, sanctioned the policy which Govern- iient had adopted witti regard to Spain, be thought they ought to 2e put in possession of the means of judging how far that policy had mecn tairly carried inito %tct. c. For thot purpose, be considered that he production of st.me papers was necessary-ntamely, coples or alt he correspandence whicti had taken place between this Government ind Sir lVilliam A'Court, dunng the period intervening between Ile entrance of the French troops into Spain, and the surrender of Cadiz; and also copies of all commutiioations made by the Spanish !iovernment to Sir Wm. A'Court, during the same period, witih his tnswers. He wished to know whethier the right lion. secretary in- ended to lay those papers before the house, or whether he would !onsent to their prodliction, if he (Lord Nugent) should tnove for 1lr. CANNING replied, that he did not intend to lay the papers slludted to upon the table, and that his vote, if they were moved for, nust depend upon the case which the noble lord might make for heir production. l,rtd NUGENT then gave netice, that on Thursday nexthe would wubiit a motion on the conduct of ininistcrs with respect to the late var in Spsin, and with referenice to their professed neutrality. Sir JO)HN NEWVPORT moved for papers (the communications hich had i been received by the Lord Lieutenant) respecting the ighs of burial in lrcland,as regards Roman Catholics and Dissenters ruon tile Establisiled Church. The honourable baronet anticipated lo resistance to his motion, as lie was convinced the tranquillity of [reland elepeildetl materially upon the question to which it related. AIr. (GOUB13URN was always loth to appear to witithold infor- lilation; but the hou3e would be aware that there might be circum- tances uider which disclosure could only tend to do mischief. He cliedl uPon the candour of the right honourable baronet for giving ,rectit to hlim (AMr. (Gouilburn) for sincerity, when he stated his be- ief that the papers in question were likely only to revive disputes, vithout forwarding the object which the hon. baronet had in view. The hon. baronet wisiled to repeal the stattite of the 9th WVilliam I., which applied to burials in the churchyards at- ached to dlecaye,l monasteries. lie said notliing upon the nmain lucstiorn-lwi,lceie tite statute ought to be repealed, or whether it -ught not; but it was al object which could rio way be aided by the roductiotl of the papers in the possession of the Lord Lieutenant; vhile their publication would certainly revive differences which were ,ow in a way to be forgotten. Sir JOHN NEWI'PORT, since the matter was referred to his andour, thottght it due to public justice, and to the people of Ire- and, that the papers should be produced. If there had beetn impru. lences committed, let them lie upon those who ought to bear them- Ipon that part of the episcopal and ecclesiastical body in Irelanid whichi had attempted to strip the people of the right of burial ac- ording to the ibrms of their religion. (Cries of * No, no," from Ilinisters.) Gentlemen might cry " no," but he said that it was so. I'he notice which he had given was not that whiich the right hon. iecretary (AIr. Goulburn) had stated. He moved certainly :o repeel the'statute, the 9th lVilliam III. ; but lie moved also to tecure the right of burial, generallv, accordittg to the forms of their -eligion,to the Catholics and Dissenters from the Established Clurch If Ireland. llWhen it was considered that this qtuestion was of all tlters the most calculated to excite public feeling, and that 6-lOths )f the Irish population were inteiested in it, ithe hlouse, he trusted, iould go with him, if lie pressed the prodtuction of the papers to a Miir. GRATTAN thought it would be better to postpone the question, and gi'e a regular notice. The gentlemen on his side the buse were taken by surprise, not having conceived that the papers would be refused. The question was one, as he viewed it, of the highest importance to Ireland. If it was not soon put at rest, there would be no burial without an affray. Air. ABERCROC l BY Faid, thatofallthefrightfulquestions which had been mooted in Ireland, this wts decidedly the mostterrific. Hc so far went along with the honourable Secretary for Ireland, that if he thought the question likely to be settled satisfactorily, he would not call tor the production of papers which contained an inflamed view, perhaps, ot past disputes; but then, so far from seeing any dispostion on the part of Government to take measures of itself for putting the diference at rest, he understood the right honour- able Secretory to suggest, that what had pasosed had set it at rest already. Mv.rw GOULBUltN said that he was misunderstood by the ho- nourable and learned gentleman. He had spoken only yf pardcu. Iar differences as in a way to be at rest, not of thegene.al question. Mr. ABERCROMBY..But the right honourable gentleman still stated no intention on the part of Government to take niea- aures. And, under such circumstances, the house was bound to pro. ceed itself, and consequently to call for the fullest information. .rhe vital importance of the question was admitted. There were doubts upon it in every way: doubts as to the law-doubts as to the rprat. tice. A specific course bv PtrLiament was necessary ; and he there. fore should supDort the production of all documents. Mfr. PEEL thought it would be well to separate the general ques. tion (of burial) frem the immediate question before the hotuse_the prodtiction of papers. Upon the general question he reserved his opinion; but he thought that the papers ought not to be produced. r. CATICRAFT supported the motion. The documents in question were not private; and the only difference was, whether members should obtain them personally, or whether they should come regularly betore the house. The house then divided ; vwhen the numbers were- For producing the papers . . 39 Aganstit .6t IlMajority against the motion . 17 On re-entering the gallery, we found Sir Josam INEWPORT on hig legs, moving fur an account of church-rates raised in the several parishes of Ireland (distinguishing each parihi) for the last 12 years. fr. GOULBURN had no objection to the papers being pro. duced: but, to find them for twelve years past would occasion a great deal of labour. NVould not a return for a shorter period answer the pupse Sir JsloHN NEWPORT wished to show the manner in which that local taxation had increased, and how heavily it now pressed upon the people of IrelaAd. lMir. GOIULBURN said, as therq were 2,503 parishes in Irelaid, this would be making out just 12 times 2,600 returns. Sir JOHN Ni.WPORT said that many parishes were united so that the nuinber returned for would not be so gref. A At a'l events, where the'right of taaing people.existe4, it was fit tbe coan' try should see how it was exerciseld. The lion. baronet tbe*i moved for a similar account of csthedr&Usconsolidated ini parish diurchai (tinder the act 'he 21 Geo; If. c. 8), which was a0e4 to. ;Hcr alo wished fot papens hIe Up btider. the late population act4 which he understood were ready to be laid before the house. : Mr. GOULBURN did not entirely understand whatdecription qf rgturn the honmbaronet:desired. Sir JOHN NEWPORT wanted the number of baronies, the number of houses, farmilies, &c. The hon. bart. handed a list across the table, which, we understood, was agteed to. Mr. GRATTAN moved for a return of the number of constablec appointed under the act of last scssion, and ihe places where they were appointed, distingsuishing those who -were of the Catholic re. ligion from. those of the Protestant. Also the names of those who had been discharged or otherwi8e punished for breaches of duty. 31r. GOULBURN was not aware how the distinction could be specified. Mlr. GRATTAN thought such returns practicable. The motion was agreed to. On the motion of Alr. GnATTAw, returns were ordeted of the number of committals in Ireland under the Insurrection Act, COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. The CHANCELL LOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that-owing to the unfortunate circumstance of their not making a house yester- day, he had not thc opportunity of giving notice of the usual mo- tion, thac a supply be granted to his Maesty. He should make the motion for a committee of supply on Monday next. Mr. HUMB hoped thatche estimates wzould be produced before a vote was called for. The SPEAKER said that until the house agreed to go into a committee of supply. the King could not be addressed to order the production of the estimates. The CHANCELLOR of tlie EXCHEQUER said that his ob- ject was merely to comply with the regular form of business. SWAVYS (AND MEANS. Sir WILLIAAM INGILBY (as we ui,derstood) hoped that for' C u rpijruse ol preventlni undue anti pOss1iDy ruinous speculauons, the hancellor of the Exchequer would nnive an early day for stating his financal arrangements, and informing the public what particularduties heintended to take oft: He would get rid of agreat many difficulties by bringing Sorward his ways and means at that earl period, for which the public were most anxioug. ;9heCHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that he now fulfilled his intention of giving notice, that on Mosday, the 23d instant, he would state his financial propositions in a committee of Ways and Means. COURT OF CHANCERY. On the motion of MLr. JoslN WILLIAI!S, copies were ordered of the cause paper of the Master of the Rolls, from the year 1817 to 1823; and the returns presented from the Couttof Chancery were ordered to be printed. IRISH LAW COURTS. MIlr. fQOULBURN gave notice, that on Alonday next he should move for a commaittee upon the Irish law court act (the 1st and 2d Geo. IV;, c. 63.) THE TREAD-MILL. Mr. PEI, moved for copies of the correspondence of the Se- cretary of State fot the Home Department, with the viting magis- trates of the different prisons where the tread-mill has been intro- duced. He stated, that his object was to show that an improved state of health was visible among the prisoners who were exposed to this labour.-Tlie returns were ordered. On the motion of Mr. GOULBuRN, a new writ was ordered for Portarlington, in the room of the late David Ricardo, Esq. SLAVE TRADE. Dr. LUSHINGTON gave notice, that on Wednesday, the 18th inst., he should move for the consolidation of the laws relating to the abolition of slavery. He also gave notice of a motion for the 19th of May, on the subject of the criminallaw. PIRACY. On the motion of Sir F. OAlMHANEY, an address to the King was agreed to, for a return of the number of persons tried and con- demnied in Jamaica, from the lst of January to the 25th of Mlarch, 1823, foracts of piracy.-The House then adjourned. LIST OF THE MiIINORITY Of 39 who voted for Sir John Newport's motion. Abercromby, Duncannon, Vis. James, W. Staunton, Sir G. Hon. J. Ellice, E. Lamb, Hon. G. Tennyson. C. Althorp,VlscountFleeming, J. Lushi;igton, S. Tierney. G. Baring, H. Grattan, J. 'Maberly, J. Wilkins, Waiter Benyoni, B. GrenfWl, P. Mncintosh, Slr J.Williams, John Berznal, R. Gordon, R. Nugeent, Lord Wood, Miatthew Hlrch,J. Haldimand, W. Ord, W. Wrottesley, Sir J. iBuxton, T. F. Hamilton, Lord Prendergast, G. Coffin, Sir 1. A. Robinsoi, Sir G. Tellers. Crompton, S. Hume, J. Itussell, Lord J. Caleraft, J. sen. Curwen, J. C. ilutchinson,Hor.Robertson, Alex. Newport, SlrJ. Davies, T. C. H. The Right Hon. G. Caininng, the Right Hon. W. Huskisson, the Right Hon. C. Arbnithnot, the Right lion. F. S. Robinson, the Right Hon. C. W. W. Wynn, Frankland Lewvis, R. Wilmot Horton, and others, who uIsuaily vate is favour of the Catbolic question, voted against Sir J. Newport's motion. PARLIAMENTARY INATBLL1agwhvE. I RnURPTTR; n(W nAfnvQ V. 9