S 3 TILE NATIONAL REGISTER. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS. WEDNESDAY, TEE. 5. This afternoon the House met for the first time after the recess, when several Peers took the oaths and their seats. The Bishop of Chichester presented a petition from the clergy of his Diocese against the Emancipation of the Catholics. The Bishop of Ch:ster presented a Petition tiom the Dean and Clergy of Ely, to the same effect. Earl Nelson presented a similar Petitioa from the Archdcaconry and Clergy of Norwich and Norliklk. The Bishop of Norwich said, he did not envy the preference which had been given 1 - 1 the Clergy of his own Diocese, in this instance, to the Noble Earl , hut he must, as on former occasions, deprecate the Interference of the Clergy in matters of state policy. It was not be coming their dignity thus, as it were, to lend themselves to the cry et " No Popery !" and to concern themselves with a question which would be better left to the wisdom of the Legislature. There was a time when, in consequence of the violence and fury of religious controversy, the Church and the State were alike in danger : but that time was gone by, and he could not see the smallest danger that would result to either by the emancipation of the Catholics from those laws which deprive them of the rights that every man in the community aught to enjoy. At all events, he thought it highly improper in the Clergy to s p ew a spirit so directly contrary to the pure and tolerant Principles laid down in the Gospel. - The Petition (as well as the former ones) was then read, and or dered to lie on the table. The Duke of NOR roz.x noticed an error in the last Petition, which was directly contrary to the fact. The Petition stated, that the Roman Catholics enjoy the same privileges with the Protestant Dis senters. Now, the Protestant Disseivers can sit in Parliament, but the Catholics cannot. The Bishop of SALISBURY presented Petitions from the Dean and Chapter of Sarum, from the Archdeaconry and Clergy of and from the Archdeaconry and Clergy of Barks, against the emanci pation of the Catholics. The Duke of NORFOLK observed an error also in these Petitions, which stated that the Roman Catholics are in the same state now as they were in at the Reformation. Now this was not the fact, for the oaths of the Irish Catholics deny the supremacy of the Pope.— H,.! would not have thought it necessary to have noticed this error, but ise was ast,mished men of so much information should have ta!len into it. Had it been a Petition from any of the tap- houses in Westminster (as he understood they were soon to have, against the Catholic::), he would not have thought it worth his trouble to notice it. Lord HOLLAND said, the Catholics of Ireland, in the solemn oath before their God, declare it to be no part of their belief that the Pope is infallible. The Petitions were then read, and ordered to lie on the table ; as one was to the same effect from the Dean and Chapter of Exeter, presented by the Bishop of Salisbury ; and another from the Mayor and Burgesses of Leeds, in Yorkshire, presented by Lord Sidmouth, also against the Catholic claims. On several P. titions being presented against the East India Mono poly, the Earl of LIVERPOOL informed their Lordships, that Govern ment did not intend to bring forward any motion, but would wait until the Company should petition for the renewal of their Charter, as the Out-ports had done against it.—Adjourned till Friday. IRIDAY, FEB. 5. CATIIOLIC CLAIMS. Petitions against these were presented by the Marquis of Camden, from Bath; the Earl of Liverpool, from Beverley, and another place, the name of which we could not distinctly hear; the Earl of Hare wood, from Huddersfield ; and the Duke of Rutland from the towns of Cambridge and Wenlock. These petitions being shortly read, were severally ordered to lie on the table. EAST INDIA QUESTION. Lord Grenville presented a Petition to the House, from the Cor poration of Bristol, praying for a participation of that City and Por an the trade to India and China. The Noble Lord presented another Petition from the Merchants, Traders, and others, of Manchester, to the same oißct.—Ordered to lie on the table. The Marquis WELLESLEY, seeing his Noble Friend, the 'President of the Board of C' itroul, in his ;dace, asked, v‘hether it were the in tention of Ministers to bring forward any propositions respecting the arrangement of the important subject to which the Petitions, just presented, referred. FEB. 7 should come forward. It was certainly the wish of Ministers to enter into the discussion as early it! the Session as possible. WAR IN SPUN. The Marquis WELLESLEY, iii a luw tone of voice, acquainted their Lordships, there were certain points relative to this subject, to which he proposed to call their attention on an early day ; a* that he liaraint to state a general outline of a proposi ion, which he should submit to the House on the subject.—Adjourited till Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS. TUESLAy, FEB 2. The House met at four o'clock; pursuant to adjournment, and a considerable time was occupied in swearing in Members. Mr. GRATTAN gave notice, that on the 'lath of the present month, he should move the appointment of a Committee, to take into con sideration the state of the laws respecting his Majesty's Catholic subjects of Ireland, agreeable to the Resolution passed in that House list Session. The SPEAK IR informed the House, that the Petitioners against the undue return of Members for Cork, Hythe, Grantham, A ldborough, Downpatrick, and Came!ford, not having entered into their recog niz•+nces within the time required by the Act, the Orders fot exa• mining the Petitions were of course discharged. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3. Lord CASTLEREAGH brought up certain Papers, relative to the discussion of the differences between the British Government and that of America, and proposed to fix the taking thew into con•ider ation on so-morrow fortnight : which was agreed to, and the notice entered accordingly. Mr. WHITBREAD brought up a Petition from certain Owners, `tasters, and Mates of English vessels, now prisoners in France; which stated them to have been, some five, some six, and , )thers seven years confined, with an allowance of only twenty-nine francs per month from the French Government, and that their situation was truly deplorable. They therefore humbly prayed relief from the interposition of the House.—Ordrrcd to lie on the table. Mr. WHITBREAD then gave notice that he would, on Thursday, the Ith of March, bring forward a motion on the subject of peace. Mr. BENNET moved for an Account of the Duties on Leather, for the last two years —Ordered. Ako, an Account of the Duties on all Articles of Worked Leather, during the same period.—Ordered. The House went into a Committee on the Local Tokens' Act, on which The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that notwith standing his disapprobation of the continuance of Local Tokens, yet such he was convinced Would he the inconvenience of putting them down, before a sufficiency of some circulating medium in silver and gold coin should be provided by Government, to answer the public exigencies, that he found it necessary to continue their utterance for a short time longer. He was in hopes, from the more favourable aspect which had lately appeared relative to bullion and the course of exchange, that six months would be sufficient for the above pur pose ; and would therefore . propose, t hat the Chairman be instructed to move for leave to bring in a Bill to continue the said Act for that period of time.—Leave was granted accordingly. Mr. VANSITTitRT, In compliance with a suggestion thrown out by an Hon. Member (Mr. Creevey), previous to the recess, rose to move for a Return of the Receipts of the Income and Property Tax, at sundry periods since 1803 ; and in doing this, the Right Hon. Gen tleman took a review of the produce of the 'Tax at different times since that period, and under the different modes of collecting it. In 1803, the amount of the tax was :1,500,0001. In 1805, the mode of collecting it was altered, the per centage was doubled, but the pro duce was nearly trebled ; for im 1806 the amount was something more than 12,500,0001..- The accounts .had been made up to April, 1811, but had not yet been brought lower, and those years he would move for. Although the returns for 1611 and 1812 were not yet made up, he had reason to believe they were not under those of the years pre. ceding. He concludeil by moving for.the Returns of the years 180,3, 5,8, and 11, distinguishing the sums paid ou lands, trades, and pro fessions, and on. dividends, and sheaving the amount of deductions Allowed. Mr. CR ELVET was of opinion the returns might have been brought Jown to the present petiod. They .had been stated io the gross, but oe wanted them undir distinct heads, that it might appear what pat ticular branch had suffered diminution. From a statement which had 'net his eye, and which,,he believed, was correct, it appeared that there had been, falling off in the last quarter, when compared with its corresponding quarter of last year, of nearly 600,600!. He wished to aicertam whether this deficiency in the return on trades. and pro fessions had been made up in the return upon lands. bv { ~. 1 11 ... rl FZIGLI MU, 1 vici ECU. 1 105b113115 Pau OCCII Male up in tne return upon lams. . . The Earl of Bucict Nen Amsit iR . iekofessed his willingtie Si to afford The papers moved for by Mr. ,Vansittart were then ordered. i his Honourable Friend all the information in his power on the occa- Mr. VANSITTART then rose to move for a return of the net suns slop; but he happened to know from a respectahie authority, that the paid into the Exchequer fur the duties of malt and beer, during the t East India Company had nor yet finally determined whether they year 1812. In mom"; this he had to regret that there had bcens should petition Parliament or not, Upon the subject. And until they falling olfof hear two millions and a half in the *duce of the Excise had decided, it would evidently be difficult for Ms Majesty's Goyerii• a and Customs, during the Period tp• which he had alluded. Thib mew go state how soon, atter such determination may b'e trade, they 4 however, wAs to be acLouinxil for. b two ci.:;untstanceS ; ene was i .:,. . • • •- • • .- - Po