114 3Jinvertal Varitamtnt. HOUSE OF LORDS, AYNIL 9. Several lords took the 041115 And their seats. Petittoes against the Catln , lic Claims were presented from the chaucellor, master,and scholars, of the university of Cambridge—Faimouth—Newcastle-iiiids r-Lyne—city of Chester—cicrgy of Bath and IVells—llioncester— clee gy of Ely—at. David's—St. Albsies—Granthatu—and several parts of Devon. The Earl of DONOUOIDIORE rose, after the above petitions had bean presented, and said, lie believed there was not a lord in parliament more unwilling that the bill of concessions to the R11111411(4(11°hal should be delayed than himself. His opinion was, that a measure so im portant ought to have the earliest and fullest discussion. At the same time, lie knew that several noble lords, ss lio were on the road to the capital, anxious to partake in the discussion, could not arrive in time, if the second reading of the hill took place to-morrow. • With that knowledge, he considered it his duty to move the house to postpone the second reading to another, and more convenhent day. Having conversed with several lords on the best day, he found Monday next would be convenient; lie therefore moved to discharge the order of the day for the second reading of the bill to-morrow, for the purpose of reading it this day sennight. The order for the second reading of the bill to-morrow was Bleu diAcharged, and fixed for Monday. FOREIGN THADE.—The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved for copies of communications respecting the re newal of the East India Company's charter, and at the same time gave nutlet., that it was his intention to lay before the house to-morrow, a report from the committee of foreign trade.—The ',ape's were ordered. C.II4MPOL , M) DIsFRANCHISEMENT E.trl of LAUDERDALE presented a petition from several voters in the borough of Grampound, praying to be heard by counsel against the bill. the petition having been read, the noble earl moved, that the order for the second lead ing of the bill, which stood fur to.morrow, be discharged, tor the purpose of allowing tire petitioners two or three Jays to procure their counsel, who could not attend the 'loose, in consequence of absence from London, before that time. Ile trail no wish to procure unnecessary delay, but be cousideted ihe petitioners, who were made subject to the provisions attic bill, which lie considered a bill of pains and penalties, justly entitled to the indulgence re quired. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he was or opinion the bill ought not to pass; but, before he opposed it, he wished the house to be in possession of all the evidence. The noble and teamed lord considered the petitioners entitled to some short delay, on the ground that short no tice had been given of the second reading crutch a bill. The Earl uf LIVERPOOL suggested that the second seeding should be on Wednesday next, which proposition was agreed to, ■nd the order for the second reading of the bill was fixed for Wednesday.—Adjourned. TL'EsDA ♦PRIL 10. The Earl of EGILEAIONT piesenied several petitions from owners and occupiers of land in different parts of the vaulty of Susses, pray ing that the house would devise some means of alleviating the pressure of the distress under which the agricultinal interest now lubaurs. A number of petitiolib weuc prt bcnted agailut the Catholic dibabilitieb removal bin —.Adjourned. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, The Earl of DONOUG I I MOB E presented a number of peti tions for and against the Roman Catholic Bill, from Roman Catholics in Ireland. The noble earl observed, that the Catholics were in general satiAcd with the first . part of the bill, but many considered the second part as an invasion of their religious rights. Seveial other petitions of a similar nature were presented trout ditkrent parts of the country, by Lord Kenyon, the Bishop of London, and the Earl of Shaftesbury, which were ordered to be laid on the table. COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND CommEacE.—The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid before the house a report of the com mittee on foreign trade and commerce. It reLited chiefly to Asiatic trade, and to the facilities which might be given to pri vate persons trading to the East and West Indies by the means of licences. The object of the report was to lay before the Lords the advantages which might be derived by this country in case such facilities were afforded. The report comprehended three branches, in which the aforesaid facilities might be granted. It also alluded to the advantages which might be obtained by trading to China under the system adopted by the United States of America. The noble marquis intimated a hope that the East India Company would act with the utmost liberality in furtherance of the regulations recommended with respect to Asiatic Trade by the committee. The report was finally laid on the table. GRAMPOUND DISFRANCHISEMENT BILL.—The Earl of CA RNAR VON rose on the order of the day for calling counsel to the bar, to be heard against this bill, and stated the particular object and bearing of the measure. It differed from a former bill, inasmuch as it removed the elective franchise front the borough of Grampound, where it had been abused, to Leeds, which would gain two more representatives by the transfer. He did not rise to cbject to hearing counsel, although the application was made, in his opinion, at too late a period; but he should endeavour to prevent counsel putting questions irrelevant or imporper to the witnesses. The LORD CHANCELLOR said, it was more than justice o consider, when a borough was about to be deprived of its elective francln.e, whether the royal prerogative was at all In fringed by the operation of the bill. He objected to the princi ple of the bill.— lime evidence of Sir NI. Lopez was not admissible in a case like the present. Lord Thurlow, in a similar case, decided that such evidence could not be received, but he rose chatty for the purr ose of protesting against the mode in which the noble lord intended to receive the evidence. Counsel migitt deviate from their duty, if they did not state questions with respect to the house ; but his lordship expressed a hope, at the same time, that they tnight not be interrupted , if they were, he should make objections in favour of the rates. (in the second reacting he should object to the bill; but his object was not to interfere until all the evidence bad been heard. The Earl of HARROWItY expressed a wish that counsel might be heard on both sides, and moved, that counsel be heard for the bill us well W. against it. The Earl of ROSEN NN said the amendment might have the effect of postponing the consideration of the bill unul utter the Lord ERSKINE observed, that the Commons had sent up the Bill which would have a ',mod t diet, and it would be IllObt ungra• cious to throw h out. The Earl of ROSSLYN opposed the motion for hearing counsel on both sales. The motion of Lord Ilarrowhy was ult;mately agreed to wi:iiout a division, and counsel for and I.Asinst the inll were ordered to attend at the bar Thur.:l4; ..t :ire o'clock. The house then t;,,c THE NATIONAL REGISTER THURSD4Y. APRIL 12. Petition* were presented front the corporation of Dublin A chileaeostry of Ely—the lloyal UUr,li of Dumferialnie —and Dover, itcainst the Catholic 11:U.—Severally read awl laid on the table. The Lori of LIVERPOOL moved the order of the day for hearing couovel upon the second reading of the bit sin pound DeTranchwement Bill. Mr. A lietson and Mr. Adam (counsellors) were accord ingly called to the bar. 'rhe former was for the petitioners against the bill, the latter for the hill. Having taken their places at the bar, witnesses were eithed in suppoit of the hill. Mr. Hoare, one of the voters for Grantipolind, was first examined touching the mom distiihuted at Grampound for the purchase of votes for S it N. Lopez, at the general election. Geor,e Hunt, an agent, who administered, as it was said, to lb. Ileterlii!ies of that borou4ll, *us the next witnes,s, Thomas Coole proved the proceedim4s at the eluction, and that the person who read the bribery oath was hissed. John Teed, Esq. who stood twice candidate for (ham pound, proved that a considerable number of the voters took looney. He gave evidence against several on a pros( cut' for bribery. Having ntteinpted to administer the 0:1111 against bribery, much confusion and disturbance ensued.— One of the voters said murder would ensu if the bribery oath was insisted on. In answer to a question put by Lord Erskine, he said the bribery oath was not taken by one of the voters. Mr. Edwards, an attorney at Truro, and several other witnesses were examitad ; after which the house adjourned. The examination will be resumed to-mot tow. FRIDAY. APRIL 13. . _ The L•'arl of SIMAI.'TE 11E11,1 prmented a petition from Greenock, praying no alteration miry be made in the duties on timber.—Laid on the table. A copy of proceedaigs against Sir M. Lopez, and others, upon prosecutil/11, for hrlhery, tin the Court tit King's Bench, as pre.ented to the ha:, by the proper officer. GRAMPOUND DISFR•NCIIIaMENT BILL—CUUMWI wete again called to the bar, and after the examination of evi dence, further proceediugs Oil the bill were postponed to Thursday, the 10th of May. The Bishop of Chester, the Bishop of Ely, Earl Bathurst, aad the Earl of Coventry, preseuted petitions from various parishes against the Riotian Catholic claims. The Earl of SIIAFTESIIUILI presented a petition the Protestant Dissenters of ilampaead, having the nave object. 'Cite petitions were severally read and laid on the ,able. Several private bills were brought up the Luminous, and read the first time.—Aitiourised to Moodily. HOUSE OF COMMONS. MONDAY, ♦PRIL 9. Oa the motion of Mr. It. Smith, leave was given to the shert.hand writer who had atteuded the Hendon com mittee to appear and give evidence at the Middlesex ses sions on an indictment for perjury. Sir W. LEMON presented a petition from the free holders of Cornwall, praying the house to adopt measures for the restoration of the Queen to the exercise of her rights—fur a reelection of the people's burdens—and finally for pal liamentary reform. He concurred in the sent Iris of the petitioners. He trusted that the house would agree to calm and tempeu ate reform, as the most effectual means of restoring the country to conduit and prosperity. Mr. THE:MAYNE said he had been requested to sup potr the petition, but be differed from the petitioner a on some points. He had hoped that the question respecting the Queen would be set at rest, and he did not go the length of the petitioners on the subject of reforin.—Or dered to be printed. Winn Taaug.—Mr. I'. WILSON presented a petition from merchants of London, praying to be relieved from the wool tax. He quoted several laws to sliew the iuju .iuns elects of the tax 011 the wool trade. Cargoes of wool, after leaving arrived at tile English ports, having been sent to the United States, and elsewhere, being un able to meet our duties. That tax drove away the beat wool—it had increased the ditty '25 per cent.—aced the opt-cation of the system was, to snake the Americans 1114- nuldettam s whether they would or not The amount gained by the deity could not be a matter of any conse quenee—it was as lambing compared with what was lust by the injury done to the nails.. - Mr. BARING remarked, that there was a notice of motion for the repeal of the wool tax ; and then would he the pee iod tor going ieto a discussion on the question. Ile begged to add, that if something were not done, we should run great risk of losing the wool trade alto4eiliel. Petition read, and cutlet ed to be printed. Mr. H. SUMNER moved the revival of the committee on the Newington bill; in doing so, he should nut advert to what had taken place in the committer. lie desired that all unpleasant feeling should be buried ice oblivion. Mr. G. lIENNEr complimented the lion. member on the conciliatory temper evineed by the mode iu which the motion was made.—hlution agreed to. lht lice- motion of Mr. Caninng, the house went into a committee on the pi Opositloll to grant .10,Wid. for the Conway bridge. Mr. Aldei man WOOD asked how it was that the public money shutild be here advanced, when it was said that not one shilling of public money should be advanced to promote the rebuilding of Loudon bridge. Ms. CANNING observed the litreiality of the city of Loudon would tender such grant unnecessary; besides tbere was much difference between the two cases.—Re solutions agreed to. Report to.murrow. Mr. COULBURN moved that the house go into a com mittee on the African ports bill. Mr. G. BENNETT moved as an amendment to the clause, that giants 01 compensation *tumid nut be consi dered as filially and conclusively granted till submitted to parliament. 'I his amendment was then put in and canted. On another t Luise, _ . Mr. W. SMITH said, lie took it for granted there were to be no slaves in the Potts ; that those who were slaves now should no longer be so. The remaining clauses having been agreed to, the re pos t was ordered to be received 10-morrow. BANK CA*II PAYMYNTS.—The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that the house go into a committee on the batik Cash payments. Mr. BARING rose fur the purpose of moving an in ,truction to the coo 111 l Mee, to le-consider the provistuuA of the batik papnents act. A better course perba4 toight be, to propose in committee to take into coosideta two the whole suoit et. He concluded with moving an instruction to the cow miller., to consider the last bank cash payments' act, whether it (meld to be referred to a committee, &c. Mr. AT 1 WOOD seconded the motion. The low prices of gold about could give its advantage; and the boil. member argued at sonic letigili in support of his po sitions, but he was imperfectly heard in the genet y. It was not the tuxes alone, he Said, that created the diflictil. lies of tee cople, lint the debt and taxes combined. The CHANCELLOR of the 'At:III:QUER opposed the amendment, contending that the proposed committee was not necessary. The operetta', of the Bank Act hail not been quite so injurious as the lion. member would hare the house believe. There had been in the present quarter, for instance, an excess in the produce of the re. venue; there was an apparent diminution as compared w tilt a preceding quarter, owing to time having been given to pay certain malt and hop duties. A member, whose name we could not learn, objected to withdrawing the one-pound notes. He could see no giound that would result from such a measure. It would not pi event forget ies of five pounds or other notes ; mid lie was convinced much inconveuience would tcsult from the withdraw ins paper from circulation. He understood the Bank had conic to a resolution to withdraw their one. pound notes; lie wished to know if it was so: lithe Batik had come to such determination, lie hope.; they would ICH ace their steps, and continue to Inc nish the public with that convenience. Mr. PEARCE, in explanation, said, the Bank had yet come to no deter AUDI) on the subject; but this lie could say, if one-pound notes were found necessary for public convenience, the Batik would continue to foritish 11141 consenietice. house then divided—For the moti an, 141—For the amendment, 2i—Jlajoiity iii favour of the bill, 114. The house then went into the committee. Atter some further conversation between Mr. W. Pole, Mr. Baring, and the Chancellor ut the Excheipier, the bill went through, and the report was ordered to tie receive(' to-morrow. The other orders were disposed of, and the house ad journed at belt past twelve. TUESDA Y, APRIL 10. The ballot for a committee to decide on the merits of the Callington borough election petition tans fixed for this day ; but at four o'clock, there being only PO members present, the Speaker adjourced the house till 10-morrow. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11. The gallery was not opened at the usual hoer, owing to the ballot tor a committer to try the merits of the Callington election committee. It was not opened till hate past four o'clock. Sir J. MACKINTOSH moved, first for leave to br,ng in a bill to mitigate die punishment of forgery; sacond to amend the law regartlingthe stealing on navigeble !Wets; and thirdly, to alter the law touching privately stealing. Leave given. Tile CATHOLICS.-Mt. S. RICE, in presenting a petition. explained what he had said on a tinnier occasion, iegartling the Catholics having been entitled to seats in parliament down to the Ankles of Limerick. By theni the Catholic Lords were entitled to seats ; and there was no exclusion of the Catholic commoners from the commons. This fact was established by Mr. Butler's Book, a work of considerable authority. He had authority oft what he had said—if it had gone a cong, he had etred with respectable narnes.—( Hear, hear!)—The petition was from the Catholic Bishop of Limerick, reprobating the provisions of the Catholic B 11, but leaving the whole to the wisdom of Parliament. Sir J. GRAHAM moved that counwl might be heard against the Turnpike Trusts Consolidation Bill. Mr. D. GILBERT was sorry that this motion had been made; lie li d hoped however it might be opposed, that the expense of counsel would have been spared. Sir J. GRAHAM vindicated the respectability of the petition - ers ; they had not come forward without having some real interest in the question at issue. Mr. P. G RES FE LL remarked, that die bill had his entire concurrence; tie was persuaded it weed(' be most useful, in giving to the metropolis und neighbourhood much better roads titan they possessed at present. The petition was negatived after the gallery had been pardy cleared for a division. the division not being pressed. Dr. LUSIHNGTON present al a petition from Mr. Merry, praying that means might be adopted to iestore to him his two children, who had been torced from him at Lisbon, under pretext eftslecating them in the Rumen Catholic faith ; as well as con siderable property, &c. Mr. F. ROBINSON said, the government knew nothing of the cast, but added that enquiries would be made. Sir J. MACKINTOsH then brought in his three bills to amend the criminal laws--they were severally read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time Friday, Alay 4. A message from the lords announced thin their lordships had agreed to the beer duties, the Regent's canal, and the Irish treasons bills, without amendments. Their loidships also desired the clerk to attend with extracts from the indictments of Sir M. M. Lopez, &&.; and that Mr. Ltochford, M. P. be allowed to attend their lordship's committee of privileges, to be examined on Mr. Iltime's claim to the Earldom of elerchmont. Mr. DICKENSON said, that he should withdraw the sewers' bill tor the present ; but he should hung it forward next session. After a few words from Mr. D. GILBERT, the order for the second reading of the bill was read, and leave was afterwards given to withdraw the bid. Sir H. PARNELL presented the report of die liolyhead road's bill.—Agreed to, and ordered to he read a third time on Burrow MUSEL3I.—Mr. LEN NARD moved for returns of the refusals or suspensions of applications to the reading moms of the British Museum within the last five years. It the returns could nut be made by the Wheels lie must appeal to the pantie themselves. The discretion at present exercised was too Mr. BANK ES said, that the motion could not be complied with. lie should be against an indiwriminate admission. He added that the postponement of an application was not to be considered as unitaniount to a refusal. No proper person, he believed, lad biro refused admission. lie hoped the motion would lie withdrawn. Mr. GURNEY observed on the increased facilities that were afforded to the public libraties of England, as compared with those of France; the tbmier bong opened during longer periods in the year, and more hours in the day, than dime tit Paris. Mr. LIiNNAILD said, lie would not trouble the house to divided on the question. All persons could nut get the recom mendations of members of Parliamen., or persons of rank. He then mentioned several cases oh intlie Weeds of undoubted re spectability, who had in vain applied tor admission tor three months. The inutiun was then negatived. RECEIVER Geeettee.—Mr. asked whether it was intended to save the 5 or 4,0(101. expense of Receiver General of Greenwich Hospital. now vacant. The CHA NIELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he could give no answer now. He willed to ask the non. member whether tie would postpone his motion of to mut row respecting the dw• franchising of certain ordnance offers of Quernburough till another day, on account of the unavoidable absence of a noble friend (Castlereagh.) Mr. HUME.—When my question is answered, I shall be reedy to answer this.-Itecers..) ILCHKSTLa Jett —.Mr, Aldan= WOOD pm entcd a