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raged as much as possible. MR CALCRAFT, in reply, stated, that he wished to call the attention of the Committee on the Poor Laws to the subject of making funded property rateable to the support of the poor, and that he had sanguine hopes that their labours would be attended with the most salutary effects.

PETITIONS FOR REFORM.

Mar. 10.-Sir R. FERGUSON presented a petition from Arbroath, praying for a reform in Parliament. It was not reasonable, he said, to think that the people in Scotland should be content, when they could not but know that Cornwall sent as many members to that House as all Scotland. Mr BRAND rose to confirm what had been said by the gallant General, as to the anxiety of the people in Scotland for a reform in Parliament. Mr BOSWELL observed, there was not a single petition from the landholders of Scotland in favour of parliamentary re-, form. Lord A. HAMILTON asserted, that the voters in that country were not commensurate with the landholders. The LORD ADVOCATE had stated on a former night, and he would repeat it now, that the people of Scotland, taking those classes of the community who were most capable of forming a judgment on the subject, were nine-tenths of them opposed to any change in the representation of that country in Parliament. After much discussion, the petition was ordered to lie on the table.

ARMY ESTIMATES.

Lord PALMERSTON called the attention of the House to the Army Estimates, when the following sums were voted, from December 25, 1816, to June 24, 1817:

For defraying the expenses of volunteer cavalry, £37000 0 15,682 10 25,000 0

Ditto for Ireland,

Chelsea Hospital,
In-pensioners of Kilmainham
Hospital,

8,300 0 393,200 0 82,700 0 The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved for a grant of £1,000,000, to be advanced to the armies who fought at Waterloo. Also the sum of £5,152,000, to make good out-standing Exchequer Bills. Also £1,680,000 for the discharge of Irish Exchequer Bills. And the House resumed.

Out-pensioners of Chelsea,
Ditto of Kilmainham,

POLICE IN TRELAND.

Mar. 11.-Mr PEEL introduced a bill for the better regulation of the Police in Ireland, which would gradually reduce the military. establishment of that country.

WAYS AND MEANS.

Mar. 12.-The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER proposed that the sum of £18,000,000 be raised by Exchequer Bills. Agreed to.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

The SPEAKER informed the House that he had caused the several petitions to be sorted. The total number presented by the VOL. I.

Hon. Baronet, Sir Francis Burdett, was 527, of which 468 were printed. After several were rejected for want of form, and others for impropriety of language, the question was put that the 468 printed petitions should be read, when Lord CASTLEREAGH contended, that the rules and practice of the House were against the entertaining printed petitions. The House divided. Ayes 6; noes 58; majority against receiving the petitions 52.

MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.

Mar. 13.-Mr BROUGHAM, in a long and elaborate speech, set forth the distresses of the lower classes of the community in fearful colours. The pressure in the cloth trade, great as it is represented, was less than in the other branches. At Birmingham, out of 80,000 souls there were 27,000 paupers, who were formerly able to earn from £2 to £3 a-week, who did not make more at present than from 7s. to 9s., in no instance more than 188., and their wives and children had no employment at all. In Lancashire there were 500,000 persons engaged in the weaving and spinning trade, who could formerly earn 13s. a-week, but their wages in January last were as low as 4s. 34d., and some inferior workmen so little as 2s. 6d. weekly, for the support of themselves and families, and that many of them were actually reduced to live upon half a pound of oatmeal a-day, with a little salt and water. In Spittalfields and Coventry the distresses were nearly as great. He did not attribute this state of things to the change from war to peace (except perhaps at Birmingham), but to our restrictions on trade, our neglect of commercial treaties, and our excessive taxation, and keeping up so large a standing army, which not only prevented the nations on the continent from considering us in the light of a commercial country, but excited such jealousy of our power as incited them to every possible means of injuring our trade. He contended, that if the duties on foreign articles of Consumption were greatly reduced, our trade would be much increased, in consequence the revenue would be eventually augmented, and all classes of society benefitted. He concluded with proposing resolutions tending to reprobate the conduct of ministers, and calling upon the House to take the subject into their serious consideration. Mr ROBINSON replied; and Lord CasTLEREAGH, after stating that commercial treaties were calculated to do more harm than good, moved the orders of the day. The House divided. For going into the orders of the day 118; for the resolutions 63; majority in favour of ministers 55.

NAVY ESTIMATES.

Mar. 14.-Sir G. WARRENDER proposed, that the sum of £1,140,000 be granted for the ordinary service of the navy for six lunar months, from the 1st of January 1817.

SEDITIOUS ASSEMBLIES' BILL, Upon the third reading of this bill, Mr 2 D

W. SMITH took occasion to make an attack upon the author of a Poem called Wat Tyler, which he condemned as the most seditious book that ever was written; that government ought to repress this work, and punish its author, who was, he understood, the writer of the 11th article in the 31st Number of the Quarterly Review, which contained sentiments strangely in contradiction to the spirit with which the poem was written. Mr C. W. WYNN, in reply, said, he was surprised the Hon. Gentleman should amuse the House with criticisms upon two anonymous publications, and by personal reflections, in a place where the author could make no answer. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY opposed the bill, observing, that to control doctrine by force, was as idle as to attempt to take a besieged town by syllogism. Mr CANNING supported the bill, because, he said, persons went amongst the poor, not that they felt their distresses, or were anxious to relieve them, but that their voices might be called forth, and that they might take advantage of the inflammability of the people, to goad them on to a subserviency to their own wicked purposes. Mr BROUGHAM entered his protest against the measure of putting the power into the hands of a single magistrate, of arresting any person for uttering any thing which, in his opinion, tended to bring the government into contempt. A division took place, when there appeared for the third reading,ayes 179; noes 44; majority 135.

ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.

Mar. 17.-Mr WARD moved, that a sum not exceeding £258,000 be voted for the service of the Ordnance Department, from the 1st of January to the 30th of June 1817.-Agreed to.

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EXCHEQUER BILLS. Mar. 20. On the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the third reading of the Exchequer Bills' Bill, Lord CоCHRANE insisted, that this system of Exchequer Bills was the real cause of the rise in the funds, in consequence of the bills being deposited in the hands of the bank, who issued their notes to ministers, to enable them to go on without a loan. But this would ultimately be the ruin of the public credit. The CHANCELLOR replied, that if the Noble Lord would take the trouble to inquire at the Stock Exchange, he would find his opinion was totally wrong. (Hear, hear, and much laughter.)

WEIR'S PETITION.

Mar. 21.-Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY presented a petition from John Weir of Glasgow, complaining that he had been unjustly detained in prison, on charge of sedition, for two or three days, and then discharged. The Scots Lunatic Asylum Bill was read a first time.

ILLNESS OF THE SPEAKER.

Mar. 24. The Speaker being extremely ill, it was early in the evening understood, that all questions likely to excite discussion were to be put off.

POOR LAWS.

Mar. 25.-Several petitions were present

ed from different places, praying relief from the poor rates; one of which, from Sudbury, stated, that out of a population of 4000 souls, 2000 received parochial aid: and that the town lands paid 30s. per acre to the poor rates.

SEDITIOUS MEETINGS' BILL.

Mar. 26.-A message from the Lords stated, that they had added some amendments to the bill. It was ordered that the amendments be printed, and taken into consideration to-morrow.

ABOLITION OF SINECURES.

Mar. 27.-Mr DAVIES GILBERT ap

peared at the bar, and stated, that he held in his hand the First Report of the Committee of Finance. (Hear, hear, and a general cry of read, read.) As soon as order was restored, the clerk began to read, and the substance amounted to this, that such offices as might be considered in the nature of sinecures, ought to be abolished on the death of the persons who now enjoy them. "They therefore recommend, that the following offices should be abolished, viz. Chief Justices of Eyre, north and south -Auditor of the Exchequer-Clerk of the Bills-Four Tellers of the Exchequer-the Warden of the Cinque Ports-the Governor of the Isle of Wight-and the CommissaryGeneral of Musters." Mr GILBERT said, it was unnecessary to go farther. Enough had been read to satisfy the House of the spirit of the report.

On the motion that the amendments to the Seditious Meetings' Bill be now read, they were postponed till to-morrow.

SEDITIOUS MEETINGS' BILL.

Mar: 28.-The SOLICITOR-GENERAL moved, that the Lords' amendments to this bill should be taken into consideration. Lord COCHRANE considered it his duty to delay the progress of the bill by every means in his power; and under that impression, he should have taken the sense of the House on every one of the fifty-four amendments; but as he could not find a seconder, he must suppose the majority of the House were right, and that he was wrong. Several verbal amendments were read, and agreed to. Mr BROUGHAM contended, that all the amendments could not be properly considered at so short notice, and he should therefore move that the farther consideration of them be adjourned till Monday. The House divided, For the adjourn ment 31; against it 77; majority 46. The several other clauses were then gone through,

and a Committee of Conference to communicate with the Lords was appointed.

Mar. 29.-Mr VANSITTART, Mr BROGDEN, and others, who had been appointed to manage a conference with the Lords, stated, that they had left the bill, and a copy of the amendments, for their Lordships' consideration. A message from the Lords informed the House, that their Lordships had agreed to the amendments.

ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

Mar. 31. The Speaker, attended by several Members, went up to the House of Lords, and heard the Royal Assent given to several bills. Mr VANSITTART moved, that the House, at its rising, should be adjourned till Monday fortnight. Mr PONSONBY hoped, that Ministers would, in the meantime, take some measures that would lead to a complete removal of the distresses of the people. Adjourned till Monday fortnight.

FEBRUARY.

BRITISH CHRONICLE.

1.-Meeting of Merchants.-A meeting was held yesterday, at the London Tavern, of the principal merchants, bankers, and traders of the city of London, Sir Robert Wigram, Bart. in the chair; and a declaration to the following effect was unanimous ly adopted: After deploring the criminal excesses which had lately disgraced the metropolis, it stated, "that they were fully sensible of the distresses and privations of the lower classes of people, and were anxiously desirous of using every practicable means of relief, at the same time pledging themselves, individually and collectively, to support the government and constitution as by law established; and to resist every attempt, whether of craft or violence, that may be directed against civil liberty or social peace." The opinion of this most respectable body of men has always had great influence upon the public mind, and will doubtless have a good effect at the present crisis.

6. The Levee.-The Prince Regent's levee, at Carlton House, this day, was one of the most numerous that is recollected, as persons of rank and distinction, of all parties, were anxious to congratulate his Royal Highness on his escape from the late treasonable attempt on his person.

6.-Edinburgh Address.-At an extraordinary meeting of the Town-council of Edinburgh, on Monday the 3d instant, the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Council, voted a dutiful and loyal address to the Prince Regent, expressing their detestation of the gross outrage offered to his Royal Highness on his return from opening the Parliament, on Tuesday the 28th ult. Similar addresses

have been voted by the Lord Provost and Magistrates of Glasgow, and by the Towncouncil of Paisley. Meetings for the same purpose have been called of the counties of Edinburgh, Haddington, Fife, Roxburgh, Renfrew, and in various other parts of Scotland.

Greenock.-First Ship from the East Indies.-Yesterday morning, the ship Anne Robertson, Macfarlane, from Calcutta, laden with sugar, cotton, indigo, &c. came into this port, being the first arrival in the Clyde, consequent on the breaking up of the East India Company's monopoly; and it is truly gratifying to find, that the most sanguine anticipations then entertained of the benefits to be derived from throwing this trade open, bid fair to be amply realized.

8.-Mildness of the Season.-As a proof of the extreme mildness of the season, the following plants were observed in blossom on the 30th ult. in a garden in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, viz. the wall-flower, stock primrose, cowslip, polyanthus, daisy, hepatica, crocus, Christmas rose, green hellebore, winter aconite, white coltsfoot, whitlow grass, scurvy grass, golden saxifrage, and early flowering heath; besides which, many gooseberry bushes, currants, roses, honeysuckles, and even some plants of hawthorn, had already unfolded their leaves.

10. The Spafields Meeting.Every precaution was taken to prevent any riot or disturbance from the meeting at Spafields, which was announced to take place this day. About one o'clock several thousand persons had assembled, when Mr Hunt made his appearance; and, after stating that Lord Cochrane could not attend, and that Sir Francis Burdett would not, he delivered a long and

desultory speech, concluding with a string of resolutions, having for their object to obtain annual parliaments and universal suffrage. The resolutions were then embodied into the form of a petition, and carried by acclamation. It was taken, by the chairman of the meeting, down to the House of Commons, with the view of putting it into the hands of Lord Folkstone to be presented. The crowd gradually dispersed. Mr Hunt paraded through several of the principal streets, with an immense mob following his tandem, but, though rather turbulent, no michief ensued.

strument is to be shipped for India by the next outward-bound fleet.

13.-Union Canal-On Saturday the 8th, the petition for leave to bring into Parliament the Bill for the Union Canal was despatched to London, signed and sealed by the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and having the subscriptions of a number of respectable individuals of both cities, wellwishers to that much wanted and most useful undertaking.

13.-New Coin.-The exchange of the new for the old silver coin commenced this day at the several banks and banking houses in this city and Leith; and the issue is to be simultaneous throughout the kingdom.

sisting of crowns, half-crowns, shillings,
and sixpences. On the crowns and half-
crowns is the head of his Majesty, with the
words Georgius III. Dei Gratia, 1816; on
the reverse, Rex. Fid. Def. Britanniarum,
with the royal arms and motto encircled by
the collar of the order of the Garter, sur-
mounted with a crown.
On the shillings
and sixpences is his Majesty's head, with
the words Geor. III. D. G. Britt. Rex.
F. D. 1816. The arms on the reverse are
encircled with the Garter, surmounted with
the crown. The raised rim protects the im-
pressions, and each coin has a milled edge.

Mural Monument.-Soon after the completion of the iron bridge at Bonar, in the county of Sutherland, George Demp--The new coins are very handsome, conster, Esq. of Dunnichen, expressed a wish to be allowed to have placed, at his expense, in a conspicuous place at Bonar Bridge, a mural monument, or tablet of marble, with an inscription, expressive, and as a lasting memorial, of the patriotic exertions of the Commissioners for Highland roads and bridges.-The tablet, which is of white marble, about four feet in height, and three feet in breadth, with two pedestals of Portland stone, having been safely landed at Bonar, the heritors, &c. of the county of Sutherland, at their last Michaelmas Head Court, directed that it should be forthwith erected, agreeable to the wish of the patriotic donor, and voted thanks to Mr Dempster for the handsome gift, which were communicated to him by the convener. The inscription is as follows:

TRAVELLER!

Stop and read with gratitude
The names of the Parliamentary Commis-
sioners, appointed, in the year 1803, to
direct the making of about five hundred
miles of roads through the Highlands of
Scotland, and of numerous bridges, par-
ticularly those at Beauly, Scuddel, Bonar,
Fleet, and Helmsdale, connecting those
roads;-
-viz.

Right Honourable Charles Abbot.
Right Honourable Nicholas Vansittart.
Right Honourable William Dundas.
Sir William Pulteney, Bart.
Isaac Hawkins Brown, Esq.
Charles Grant, Esq.
William Smith, Esq.
To whom were afterwards added,
Archibald Colquhoun, Esq. Lord Ad-

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14-Commitment to the Tower.-Watson, Preston, Hooper, and Kean, alias Kearns, having been ordered to be committed to the Tower, four hackney coaches were procured, and one prisoner put into each, under the care of a king's messenger and a Bow Street officer. Sir Anthony Conant rode in the first coach. They left the Secretary of State's office about five o'clock, and proceeded to the Tower. As soon as the coaches had entered, the gates were closed, and the Deputy-Governor and Col. Sutton, the colonel of the guard on duty, took charge of the prisoners, and conducted them to second rate apartments, which had been prepared for their reception; each is confined in a separate room. Two wardens (yeomen of the guard) are to be in each room constantly with them; and at the outside of each room door there are two centinels.

15.-Naval Monument.-A numerous meeting of the subscribers to the naval monument to be erected to the memory of the late Lord Melville, was held at Oman's Hotel, in Edinburgh, on Tuesday, when the state of the funds was laid before them; and it was unanimously resolved, that a committee be formed for carrying the said work into execution, and that they be instructed to fix upon a place for erecting the said monument, to procure plans, to decide upon the same, and proceed forthwith in the execution thereof.

15.-County Meeting.- -Yesterday, a very numerous meeting of the county of Edinburgh was held in the Parliament House, when an address to the Prince Re

gent, on the late outrages, was proposed, and unanimously agreed to.

18.-Dreadful Fire.-The worsted mill, belonging to Messrs Edward and Joseph Pease of Darlington, has been entirely destroyed by fire. The damage is estimated at £35,000, and upwards of 500 people will be thrown out of employment for many months to come.

The Gazette of this day contains a proclamation, offering a reward of £500 for the apprehension of James Watson the younger; and likewise a reward of the same sum for the apprehension of Arthur Thistlewood; with a full description of their persons.

20.-The Queen's Birth-day.This day being appointed to celebrate her Majesty's birth-day, her Majesty held a drawing-room, which displayed a most magnificent assemblage of rank and beauty. The Prince Regent had commanded notice to be given in the Gazette, that the celebration of the Queen's birth-day, and his own, should be considered as public court festivals, and that those who attended the court, should appear in dresses of British manufacture only; and he set a laudable example, in ordering all his state officers, and others of the royal establishment, to appear in new costly dresses, in which every article, not of British manufacture, was strictly prohibited; which, as a pattern to the higher orders generally, will be a great benefit to numberless industrious families. Indeed, all the company present shewed they had been equally anxious to relieve their suffering countrymen, by affording them employment, which is the only permanently useful mode of relief.

20. A London Gazette was published this day. It consists of ten pages, and is entirely filled with addresses of congratulation to the Prince Regent on his late happy escape.

24-Pilgrimage to Jerusalem.-Such is the infatuation of the believers in the doctrines of that ridiculous old woman, Johanna Southcote, that several persons in Leeds are actually quitting comfortable situations in life, to embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusa lem! where they are fully persuaded, they are to live without money, or labour, or sorrow, or pain, for at least 1000 years!

24.-Friends of Public Order.-A meeting of the friends of public order, retrenchment, and reform, dined together on Saturday last, at the Freemason's Tavern. At half-past five o'clock, Mr Lucas took the chair, with the Hon. Thomas Brand on his right, and Sir Francis Burdett on his left side. Amongst the company present were, the Hon. Douglas Kinnaird, J. Philpot Curran, Alderman Goodbehere, Mr Waithman, Mr Phillips, &c. A declaration was handed by the chairman to his friend Mr Peter of Cornwall, with a request that he would preface the reading of it with some observations of his own; when, after a

speech of considerable length, he read the declaration, which stated the determination of the society to promote constitutional reform in the Commons House of Parliament, and concluded in the following words; "Waving, therefore, the discussion of all particular tenets, and details of reform, resisting corruption on the one hand, and violence on the other, this meeting pledges itself to leave no legal and constitutional means unexerted, for inducing the legislature to take the grievances of the people into its early and serious consideration, and (by amending the state of representation) to render the House of Commons, in fact, as it is of right, a control upon the executive government, and an express image of the feelings of the nation." Several gentlemen, particularly Mr Curran, delivered their sentiments very freely, but all of them disclaimed the idea of annual parliaments and universal suffrage; and the meeting was conducted with that degree of moderation which should be an example to all the true friends and advocates of reform.

Striking the Fiars.-The act of sederunt of the Court of Session (December 21, 1723) constitutes the law with regard to the striking of the fiars; and as this is a subject of great and increasing importance, we insert the following short outline of its provisions:

1st, Fifteen persons, who have "knowledge and experience of the prices and trade of victual" (not fewer than eight of them heritors) shall be chosen as a jury, to sit between the 4th and 20th February.

2d, Witnesses shall be examined, concerning the price at which victual has been "bought and sold, especially since the 1st of November immediately preceding," and also "concerning all other good grounds and arguments" for establishing the just fiar prices.

3d, Any persons "present in court," may "offer information to the jury concerning the premises and the evidence adduced."

4th, The Sheriff, if necessary, may adjourn to a subsequent day, but must pronounce sentence on or before the 1st of March.

5th, The Sheriff, if needful or customary, may strike the fiars more than once every year.

6th, The fiars must be recorded in the sheriff books, and extracts shall be given by the clerk, when demanded, on payment of seven shillings Scots for each, and no

more.

27.-Arrests at Glasgow.-On Saturday night, the 22d instant, about eleven o'clock, eighteen men were taken up, under a Sheriff's warrant, in a small public house at the head of the Old Wynd, Glasgow, and lodged in jail for examination. It is understood that they are charged with having met for treasonable purposes. On being questioned as to the object of their meeting, they declared, it was solely with the view

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