The National Register. — 1812-02-02 (London, England)

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER.  TB. 2.  orient, yet the House could not decide on it at present. Many Mem- " berg, as the Hon. Member was well aware, sat without any qualification of property ; and at present there was no law which said that a man, by mere misfortunes in trade becoming a bankrupt, should forfeit his seat. If his bankruptcy should prove to be attended with fraud, that would be ground for a motion in the House for his being expelled. A man might in fact become a bankrupt, and yet pay 20s. in the pound, and have a surplus exceeding the required qualification. Under these circumstances, if the House acceded to the motion of the Honouratfle Member, it would be to appoint a Committee to enquire into the law. This would be sufficient to induce him to oppose the motion. Whether. the Honourable Member should think fit to bring in a Bill on the subject, would 1* another question. Mr. A. BARING opposed the motion. He thought the time improper for bringing it forward. Sir C. PRICE supported the motion. Sir F. BURDETT thought the law must mean, that Members were to possess a certain qualification which would render them independent, or it could mean nothing, and it was absurd; if such persons were to sit, persons in notoriously bankrupt situations, they had better have written up over thedoor of the house—" Broken and Bankrupt fortunes mended here.''—Could it be contended that the meaning of the Act was, that a person might borrow his qualification for the purpose of taking his seat, and afterwards return it, and continue to sit without it; if such were the 'mailing of the law, he could only say, it was fooling with the Public; and, therefore, though he (Ltd not consider the motion of so much importance to the independence ot the House, he should support the motio . Mr. BRAND thought Members should be obliged to produce their qualifications whenever they were called upon. Sir J. N few poor wished the Irish Law to be introduced here; by which, any Member becoming a bankrupt; and having been Gazetted six months without paying 20s. in the pound, the Speaker might issue his writ for the election of another Member. After a. few words from Mr. LOCKHART, the motion was put, and negatived without a division. Sir F. BURDETT said, after having seen that in the opinion 'of the • House the qualification for a Member of that House was of little importance, he had little hope of convincing Gentlemen that it was necessary to inquire into the character and qualification of Police Magistrates.— In the reign of George 11. it had been provided that Magistrates should have a qualification ot 1001. a year • that was as much as 5001 would be now. What, however, he wanted now to know was, whether Ministers had at all attended to the law, and for that purpose be should . move, " That the order, obtained by him on a former night, parts of which had been rescinded, should be restored to its original form." The Hon. Baronet then adverted to the conduct of the Magistrates, in having had so many persons taken up, and kept in confinement, on suspicion of the late murders ; and particularly alluded to the case of Alblass, who, he said, was .kept in chains with inquistorial power, in order to induce hiM to criminate himself. These, and other circumstances, induced him to move for an inquiry into the qualifications of the Police Magistrates. Mr. RY D ER repeated the arguments which he used on a former night, and defended the conduct of Mr. Graham, who, he said, instead of the insinuations thrown out against him, deserved the public thanks. He wished, instead of general insinuation, the Hon. Baronet would for once come forward like a man with a distinct accusation. Mr.