106 9mptrial "Varitaincnt. • HOUSE OF CORDS. lIONDAY. Arnim 1. Lord JAIL AftYRIAY was introduced as Baron Glenlion. and took his seat. His Lordship was introduced by Lords Limerick and Klinotil. Doyle's Divorce Bill was resd.the second time, and the Com mittee postponed till after the holidays. Earl DIG BY presented three petitions from Agriculturists in the county of Dorset, complaining of distress, &c.—Laid on the table. The Marquis of LANSDOWSE moved that the Secretary to the Board of Excise be caled to the bar. That person ac • conlimly appeated. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—Do you remember on the leth cl last month receiving an order of this Howe, front the Messenger of the Treasury ? A. On the MO of last month, in the morning, an order from the House was received by me. Q. What did you do with the order 7-1 t was not directed to MA It was the the Bolin'. They opened it. The witness withdrew. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved, that Lord George Seymour, Chairman of the Board of Excse. be called to the bar. The motion was agreed to, and the noble Lord appeared. Examined by the Marquis of LANSDOWNE. Q. Does your Lordship remember to have received on the 12th of last month. a communication from the Treasury, which was laid beters the board 7—A. 1 did, on the teth. Q. Did the Board, in consequence of that communication, direct any steps to be taken ?—ds. It was directed to be reported te'different persons whom it concerned—to difkrent branches of the excise, country correspondents, and the differed offices. Q. Did it appear to you, that there was any thing in the order which required delay in making the return 7—A. I t was necessary to discover and point out orders sect to Jiff rest individuals. Q. Will your Lordship state why the delay took place P—lt arose from this Or.lers were given tinder special circumstances, to various individuals, and we wished to get answers , which had not Irma received, before we gave any general answer to this House. Q. This we are to consider the cause why the returns could not be made without delay .7—A. I considered it ii.eessary to obtain answers to all the ewes under consideration balite we made our return. Every case stood on its own bottom, and I did toot think a sweeping answer sufficient. Q. Did your Lordship consider that any discretion was to be exercised by the Board, in returning in answer to the order of the House?—A. I certainly did understand it so—a sweeping serum would not have been sufficient. Q. Does your Lordship recollect to have received on the eath of last month front the Treasury the Order of the [louse, that a return to the former order be made forthwith ?-1 do. Q. State what steps were taken in consequence?—A. No steps were taken to mste n the recut n. A further report was ordered. Q. Did your Iffdship receive a letter front the officer of the Tecasury, accom:anying the last order, and requesting to be In formed of the natute of the delay ?—A. Yes. Q. Did you answer it 7—A. 'lo-1 certainly take blame to myself for not giving the answer. Lord Seymour then withdrew. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved that the noble be called again to the bar, and informed that the House would expect in future their orders to be punctually attended to. The Motion was agreed to, and Lotd Seymour reappeared at the brit*. The LOBO CH ANCELLOA thee FJ-. 1 .--`• Lord George Etymour, I ant cottematided by nt tins House to infoo you, that tare House expect in future their (infers to be puttetuilly obeyed, and at present they dismiss you front any further attendance bete." Lord Sevmoar then withdrew. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved, that there be laic before that House a copy of all convictions obtained under prosecutions instituted by the Board of Excise, for selling roasted corn and other substances c:ireti breakfast powder. Also the opinions of die Crown Officers upon the powers given by the Act of Patti ment to seize the same. After a few remarks from Lord Liverpool, the motion was speed to. Lord ERSKINE presented a petition from the occupiers of land in tte County of Sutrulit, complaining of agricultural dis tress.—Laid on the table. Lord tillEY presented a petition against the Durham lighting and paving bill. The Irish Five per Cents. Bill was read a second time. The Dublin Fever Hospital Bill was also read a second time. The Receivers of Stolen Securities Bill was read a second time. .—Adjournal. TUESDAY, APRIL 2. On the motion of the Bishop of EXETER, the report of the committee upon the education of the poor was ordmed to be painted. The report of the commissioners appointed to regulate church bi,fs was laid on the table by the Distlop of Exeter. The Irish Five per Cents. Bill was read the third time and passed. The Receivers of Stolen Securities' Rill, and the Dublin Fever Hospital Bill, went through committees. Adjourned. wr.:DXICSIDAY, AM". 3. The royal assent was given to tile hash five per cents. bill— the Admiralty Quorum bill—the Malt Duties Repeal bill—and Cie Attorneys' and Salicitors Regulation bill: The Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor , Lord Milvine, - . 4.) ••••• • • C/1.•• ~i 44. 4 ' _ - and Lord Shaftesbury. Mr. EirNden and other members from the Commons bronslit up the Innkeepers' Rates bill, which was read the first time. Lord REDh:SDA LE pimento! a petition from the Chevalier RuTint. praying for amendment in the bankrupt laws. The petitioner prayed especially . that no Commission should issue unler , s the debt of the petitioning creditor amounts to 1001. The petition was read and laid on the table. On the motion of the Earl of LAUDERDALE, a message was ant to the Commons. etquesting a copy of the report of the Committee on Agriculture. Lord ERSKINE presented two petitions from owners and occupiers of land in the counties of Kent and Gloucester, com plaining of agricultural distress. The noble Lord observed. that a few days ago, when he presented a similar pe tition , it w as said no steps could be taken for the relief of tin dist•e-std agricul turists. wail the result of the labours of the Agricultural Com mittee was known. lie had then the report of that Committee johis pocket, and could state to the Hcj.e what the result was. They had a bra first time a statement of one of the catt,es of agricultural distress. They were told it arose from nn unlimited k n o r i n ci as of foreign corn, which bad injured the domestic = oMd wheoever the price of Corti was below the price law. government were recommended to take corn in plide i , dwweing not more than two-thirds of the value. The reeennossidion of the Committee, so far from being a remedy, was. in she molar Lord's opinion. an aggravation of the evil. The agriesearires called upon that house tot relief, and they could do nothing for them, but the Lords certainly rad the power to reject any bill which did not propose a proper remedy. they had heard a great deal about brimting the country back to its former state with respect to grain, but lie fcr one shoal be *err,' to see it brJught back again to the state which produced the most benefit to growers of corn. lie kihct rely hoped that I arise would reject any 101 l which did not provide a remedy fur tie evil. The LORDCHANCELLOR said a noble friend. not then in sLe House, had moved to bring the re; Ott of the Committe of .~ - I_~~ THE NATIONAL REGISTER the House of Commons to their table. and until it came up be considered all observations upon it irregularly introduced. The petitions were then read and laid on the table. The Receivers of Stolen Sccitriti, , s bill. and the Dublin Fever Hmpit d bill, were read the third time and pas-ed. On the motion of the Earl of Shaftesbury the House adjourned to Thursday the 18th inst. HOUSE OF COMMONS• MOSDAY, ♦PRIL 1. The OIRAgOW GAS Light b:II was read a third time, and passed. Mr. WHITBREAD present-a a petition from bridge, complaining of the present mode of recovering small debts. The Liverpool St Luke New Church bill WAS read n second time. Sir A. CAMPBELL presented a petition from mer chants in Glasgow . , complaining of the state of the West India trade. Mr. 11. DAVIS presented a petition from merchants in Bristol, complaining of the depressed state of West India produce, and praying the I i e, as means of relief, to adopt nu ARA for opening the trade with America.—Read, and ordered to be pi hard. SAL I' TRADE. - Gen. GASCOYNE presented a petition from persons in Liverpool engaged in the trade of exporting salt. He pressed the subject on the house es one of et eat import. atter, Hod the petitioners hoped that the derision of the house, in the early pail of the session, would oot he eon. shirred decisive. It was a most obnoxious tax, and he trusted flint it wield again be investigated by the house. Mr. CALCRAFT said, that his course on this subject would be—lie sl 1.1 not more any resolution pledging the house to take up the subject at a future period—it would tie, if he made any propositions now, to repeat what li^ had before suggested. lie was not aerate that lie should adopt any proceeding on the subject this session ; but it nothing were done sill the next session, if agriesil tore obtained no relief, he should think that they onght then to get rid of tine tax allogetliet. (liter, hear.) Sir T. LETHBRIDGE wits glad to hear what had fallen firm the hall. member who last spoke, bat at the saute time Loped that government would prevent the ne• eessity of agnies hringieg the subject c 11111 l reted with the I ,u tax before the house. lie repeal would be must value able—it would lee really useful to the cuuutry. Mr. I' GREN FELL said, the first tax that they ought to repeal was the salt tax; and let them remember that the repeal of the tax would enable them to destroy all the rutiehinery that was requisite to collect it. Sir 1. COFFIN expressed a hope that they would coo -1 thine to fire, broadside after broadside, at his Majesty's ministers till the repeal of this most odious tax was ob i tained. It was a tax that tended to convert God's bless jug into a curse, and he trusted he should be excused, if lie desired to see its end. Petition read, and ordered to be printed. Lord A. HAMILTON moved for copies of rav iesturne. Hoes from the Eiliti l .;tti kb excise. respeetieg the imposition of iiiities on the hien els of Glesgow ' &v.—Ordered. Mr. SYKES presented a petition liom Hull, complain ing of agricultural distress.—(teat, and ordered to be printed. Mr. S. WORTLEY, in presenting a petition ;tom the act let/huffish; of Linlithgow, tot( ibuted a goad deal of the distiests to the conduct of the Bank ; to their not having diseriunted at lower interest. Mr. MANNING expressed his astonishment at the charge preferred against the Bank. lie did not b e lieve that any distress haul resulted 140111 the conduct of the Bank, tt gle various persons had thoeglit ;Hover to at tack them tar not loweting the rate of tete, est. As to the rate of interest, that was a question for the decision of the two houses of pas liatuent ; and as to the charge against the Bank, they had lent their capital, fifteen millions, at time per cent. interest. The ctforts to lower the rate of i n le t -est was must lailillieloll l , fur it had the effect to drive nor money into the foreign 1111140. There had, however, been nu want of mane/. though hue thought the agrienltit ial distress resulted from stsperabinioanee ; but he thought it would be better to leave matte's find their own level. The CHANCELLOIt of the EXCHEQUER, without revestieg to what had been said on this petiiiuu, begged to state th it a clause had for salute time been under the coosi sideration ot the croon law °dicers, to repeal the ad valorem duty on the transfer of mortgagee, to 'mishit such transfers to take place no common V4llllll. Mr. \% ES FERN &dared that all ogrieultursl property ens on the brink of ruin. 11e added, that if the farmers of &sex were called on to settle their accounts, he believed that (tea thirds of them would be found to be ineolvent.—.. Was there any thing like this in !unitary ?—was there ;toy instance where so important n el. is had been so speedily reduced to distress I It would cissisulse the who!e frame a ouriely, if taloned to go oil; it would ding down, ere long, the nubility and I :eritry from their high situations.— For years past the lenaillS had pout their reel. out of their capitol; the lanillards hod in tart existed till the tenants' means previously acquired. He believed that all these evils had re-ultra: Gann tire changes that had been effected in the eurreney ; but fur tliat change the farmers i,t this mom, lit would b tin it slide of prosperity. Ile further stated teat the tenantry rut' Essex had abstained from petittuning that House un thesuhjeet of their distresses, in uttrr despair of that House being able to adcrd them any relief. He trusted thud the state of the acy would be agitated after the holi• days. The measure 1197 was a breach of faith with the public creditors; and he said it was nuts as great a Drawls of faith, by chauging the currency . , to tall VII the public deo tots ho pay what they had uever buttoned or uodertaken to pan.—( Hear, heap !) Sir E 1l AItY E y concurred with much of what had fallen futon his lion. eullea,ue; he had not receited uire petition or application on the subject. Petition trail and ordered to he printed. EXTRA Posv.—Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition fi urn Mr. Burge-s, 01 Loudon. pray iria for some reisitoirect ion for his hisses in eirdeavouritig to establish an extia past.— To•nsm row lie should cull the attention of the House on the "object. The CIIANCF.LLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that such rticoor:.Kelt.c..l had ho rn risen fa tilt. Itoc_ctss by pu,,, lienreen, that hut se: tact entitled to -0 Petuliot r• n.l and ill lit hir on the talle. 111 r. Gtß)Clt pies, toed the ',pot I of tie Com mittee on ago-It-40re.— There wis e rues at Redd, read ! Lied lON DON wit It Y said the revert was short, end it count he printed in 45 I 1111 l rat Pro Imp, it would 6,. bt tit•r 10 %Naitfor an accurate report. If it were teal there might be etreay.ur i:Ot.O.:b Oil the tuttieCt. He aged there would . • • , ....•••••441e*.lhka,s.!•-- -.. be nu discussion till some day was named; be proposed to call the :went 00000 of the House to the subject on the 22d inst. to discuss the repots in a committee of the whole house. Report ordered to he taken into consider lion in is cum. millet. M the w hole house, on Monday, Ihe ee the m•lian of Lord Londonderry. Mr. ROBINSON afterward', when the home was in w committee on the colonial nets, Itrou'lit forward resolutions for ()pelting the West Indin trade, staid fur regulating that trade wills A uses len. Mr. Willi, 'force. Mr. W. Smith. &c. expressed their aim prottation of the pion, rthntit:ti g that it would be rah whited 10 relieve the cot '•s t and hoped thug rare would he taken to guard ugaiost the illegal importation of slaves. Resolutions agreed to, and bills oiderrd to be brought in uccotdincly. The !louse then went into a committee of supply, in which Mr. Arita' imut brought forward the miscellaneous estionates, the several items of which were agreed to without (nip°. sit i Da the resolution for granting 40,0001. fur secret service Money, Mr. HUME wished to know from the noble Nautili.; 01 %Mit purpose. this scerct service y was . polio d f—( A lat_h.)—G••otlenneu 'night laugh. but, in Ills °widen, it coil .1 he npi•lied to no R ood purpose. for, if well applied, theta could be 110 of .... ft. concealment. Lord LOIN 1)ON DERRY said, the hon, member's prows. Shinn ohs certainly an Irish one; considering that tins was money appropriated to secret services. The Imo. gent, should also recollect that this bend of service was cum-mere' as necessary by Mr. Burke; and that the m .. ey wasreceived and expended under the Sanction of on oath. He had 1,0 ohjtC(11111 to state, harsevec, that 46.0011. of this sum was Applied to rietuctott.strisioK out of the war. Mr. Ilsonte mud Mr. llobhun.e still objected to th, vote. Mr. ARBUTII N I' defended the Kraut us necessary for supportnig the it'll:1011re of the country. Mr. 11013110 USE said we were then fighting the range of tliis country tit foreign coot IS with silver sp.•.nrc—he con sidered the g . lus enormous, t o t injurious to the hest inter ests of the country. As to Mr. Borke's opinion, there was tud n doctrine which mould he named for which the authority of that individual might not be cited in some part or other o f Inc WOlks. . . . The question was then pat, and the gallery cleared for a divllion, but nu division tuck place, and the resolution' nits agreed to. On the resolution fur granting 15,0001. for government messed-et , . Mr. RENN ET moved to reduce the vote to ev,nool. The House divided—Fur the original resole( 00000 0 67—Fos the nmendnn hot 11.— Majority against the amendment 4S. Several other items were disposed of, and the House re sumed, and the report was ordered to be received to-merrow. Lord LONDONDERRY then gave notice, that he would on Wednesday move that the House, at it. rising on that 0. ahoald itajouto to that day for ;,;get. The ( All! r orders tver . e disposed of, and the House ad. :pureed at one o'clock. TUESDAY, APRIL 2. Sir H. PARN ELL presented the report of the Holy. head roads' conimitiee.—Ordered to be printed. Sir F. 13111113 E rr presented three petitions, praying the house to procure for Mr. Hnitt a remission of the re maining portion of his setnence. He would avail • self of this opportunity to state, that Mr. H. had mot been relieved from those petty and vexations interferences that had been reported 3lr. li. slated thus mulch. 'flit want of ventilation had been spoken of particularly by the commissioners, and it was extraordinary !het notwithstanding all that had been said by the 'ssioners, as will J 4 by 11.11. Menthe's in that house, nothing had been done on the most important point. He was glad that he had not brought forward this subject so promptly as he had at first felt disposed to do, ter the inure that hail come to light, the greater reason theme was to fief strongly bow 'eyrie was the treatineet of Mr. Hunt. lie had thought that ministers would inter fere; lie still hail strong hopes on that subject; but should not 'Moister% feel it their ditty to advise the Crown to remit Mr. Hunt'', sentence, lie email bring forward a motion on the `24th inst. for an address to the Crown to adopt stick made oh' proceeding. (Hear, (rear.) Petitions read, and ordered to be printed. 'They were front Warwick, Bath, and some place in Wiltshise. Sir R. WILSON ',gestated a petition front Horton, in Lancashire. also wide such prayer, as well as enforcinz the necessity of retorni. Mr. P. MOORE presented a similar petition from Co ventry.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. HOBHOUSE moved fur returns connected with the Insolvent Debtore Cuurt, to stirw the *motion of the Commissioners' salaries, the lees of the court, the insol vent debtors discharged, ike.—Ordervil. Alderman WOOD presented the City of London peti tion, agreed to at a Common ilalh,eonl7ulainimg 01 dist ress, and praying fur reform. Ile lamented that the worthy baronet had hoot lei taken to present the petition, as it would come with effect when pi emoted from the Termites y beuch. (Sir W. Curtis was sitting there.) That worthy member knew a onething of the distresses that were expe rienced in the trade cart led out in the city, particularly in the who'reale trade with different parts of the cutiniry ; but he might have complained of some parts of it, for it called fur reform, and the lion. member was no great re former. (Hear, and a laugh.) The petitioners dill not often approach that limn., but, Convinced of its twee*. sity. they never lost sight of the questiou of reform. The petition was then read at length. Sir W. CURTIS observed, that whatever might be his respect for the his cry, he could not concur in the settee. rents of the petition. The house, however, would nut consider Mat a petition agreed to by S or eat prisons, spoke the sentiments of 11,000 good and honourable no u. The meeting was legally called lie admitted, and if ihe thmisinids did not attend, ke was aware ii was their own fault ; but the fact moot nevertheless be stated, that the petition was agreed to by SO (eV/ of the livery. Mr. T. WILSON could not consider this as the petition of the 14,000 livery—of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery—it was the petition of Sor CD prison*. He was sent there free and unshackled; he was sure that it was meant that he should not be tra 11111 l riled 1 and there fine, n tom be was desired to suppoi t economy, retrepeliment, and reform, lie tell dAottetil that lie was expected to t them wily as far AS he (teemed them expedietit and sale. Alderman lIRIDGES also said that lie dill not consider the petition as that el* the lively; at gas only the petition at the 3 or 400 persons pi C6QIII. Alderman I . lloNlObi observed, that as the aldermen and Weer, were not present at the meeting, whru they ,