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Mr DAVENPORT presented a petition, signed by 2680 persons, in the county of Chester, against the duties on salt. The petitioners complained of the grievous effects of these duties upon the agricultural interests of the country He earnestly implore the Right Honourable Gentleman near him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) to give the subject his most serious consideration. The petition was ordered to be printed.

. Mr PHILIPS, after an introductory speech of some length, moved for an inquiry into the conduct of the spies and informers, alleged to have been employed by Government, in the lately disturbed districts.

This gave rise to an animated debate, and a repetition of all the arguments so often advanced by the Opposition in reprobation of the use of spies, as calculated to sap the foundations of liberty; and by Ministers in defence of them, as both justifiable and necessary for the detection of treason. The conduct of Oliver, as usual, formed a principal feature in the discussion -one side of the House contending warmly for his claim to respectability of character; and the opposite party, as warmly his pretensions to infamy.

Mr WILBERFORCE opposed the motion, as loose, vague, and indefinite, although he felt convinced, that if the strictest investigation were to take place, all parties would come out of it with disgrace. He reprobated the late system of espionage, as contrary to the best principles of moral and religious justice.

The motion being put, was lost by 162 against 69.

March 6.-After the report of the Mutiny Bill had been brought up,

Lord ALTHORP rose to move the reduction in the Army Estimates, for which he had given notice. The Noble Lord concluded a very able speech, by moving an amendinent, to the effect, that in the preamble of the bill, 108,640 men should be substituted for 113,640.

After some debate, the House divided: -For the original question 63; against it 42; majority against the motion of Lord Althorp 21.

Monday, March 9.-A petition was received from Warwickshire against the Salt Duties.

Petitions against the additional Leather Duties were received from Halifax, Bedfordshire, Peterborough, Alnwick, Northamptonshire, Montgomeryshire, the West of Scotland, and other places.

⚫ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the order of the day; and afterwards moved the first reading of the Indemnity Bill. The Right Honourable Gentleman proceeded, at considerable length, to detail the facts and circumstances of the plots and treasonable

acts, in order to show, that the plain state of the case required the course pursued, and that the powers granted had been exercised in the most lenient and efficacious manner. In conclusion, he remarked, that the information upon which the government had acted should not, by any means, be disclosed; and, therefore, they were bound by every consideration of necessity, propriety, and justice, to pass the bill now proposed.

Mr LAMBTON opposed the bill. The Hon. Member proceeded to an examination of the conduct of the Government spies; in the course of which he said, there was one fact now come to light, respecting one of those spies, in addition to what had formerly been detected, which called for the utmost atten tion. The fact was stated, and indeed sub. stantiated in a daily paper, whose high respectability, and extraordinary accuracy, would be authority enough for him, if he wanted other evidence. (Hear, Hear.) But he had other authority. He was authorized, if necessary, to produce the name of the gentleman, who would prove all the circumstances at their bar. (Lond cheers.) This gentleman stated, that on the day of opening the Session last year, before the Prince Regent returned from the House of Peers, he met Oliver at the Horse Guards, going into the Park, and inveighing in such loud terms against the Prince Regent, as to collect a crowd about him.

The individual whose name he could produce, and who was ready to confirm his statement on oath, remonstrated with Oliver in vain. The consequence was, the outrage on the person of the Prince, and the suspension of the Habeas Corpus. He therefore opposed any indemnity for proceedings so flagrantly unjustifiable. He did not say so, in hopes of influencing the House; but would say, on his conscience, that the House was bound in duty to the people of England to support him, when he moved, that this bill be read a third time this day six months.

Mr Protheroe, Colonel Stanhope, Mr Marryat, and Mr Freemantle, spoke in favour of the bill; and Sir M. Ridley, Lord Nugent, Mr Smith, and Mr Brand, op. posed it.

The House then divided, when there were for the motion 190; for the amendment 64-Majority for the motion 126. The bill was consequently read a first time.

Mr ARBUTHNOT moved for a new writ for the borough of Yarmouth in Hampshire, in the room of the Lord Advocate, Alexander Maconochie, Esq. who has accepted the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds.

March 10. Mr CALCRAFT moved for the appointment of a committee, of 21 members, on the Salt Duties.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER

was aware, that the subject was of very great importance; but it should also be recollected, that a large part of the revenue was involved in this question.

Mr CALCRAFT said, he never could have proposed to affect so large a proportion of the revenue, as a million and a halt, which the duties on salt produced, without the idea of finding some substitute. In the present circumstances of the country, it was quite necessary that some substitute should be found, before so much of the revenue could be withdrawn.

The committee was then appointed, and several reports and papers ordered to be referred to them.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Indemnity Bill; which, after some debate, was read, and ordered to be committed on Wednesday.

The Bank Token Bill was read a third time, and passed.

March 11.-About half-past six o'clock the ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the order of the day, for the House going into a committee on the Indemnity Bill, which produced a debate of considerable length, in the conclusion of which, the motion was carried. The numbers were :-For the motion 238-Against it 65. Majority 173.

The House then went into a committee on the bill.

March 12-Lord ALTHORP rose to make his promised motion respecting the Leather Tax. The Noble Lord then entered very impartially into numerous items of comparative prosperity and depression in the trade, and in the revenue, arising from the tax. To meet the loss of this tax, he suggested, not a tax in lieu of it, to be adopted, but a diminution of exHe concluded, pence by the Government. by moving, that leave be given to bring in a bill to repeal the additional duty upon leather.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, if the Noble Lord had proposed that a committee should be appointed to inquire into the subject, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) would not have offered any opposition; but if, without inquiry, this tax should be repealed, the House would be placed in a painful situation, between bankruptcy and disgrace on the one hand, and the property-tax on the other. He had too much confidence in the honour of the House to fear such an issue.

Several Members spoke, when the House divided For Lord Althorp's motion 94; for the amendment 84 ;-majority 10. The motion for leave to bring in a bill to repeal the late tax was accordingly carried.

March 13.-The Indemnity Bill was read a third time; a considerable debate, and several amendments, followed. The latter were moved by Sir J. Newport, Sir

VOL. II.

Wm. Burroughs, and Mr Brougham, and were severally rejected without a division. The bill was then read a third time.

On the question, that the bill do pass, Mr BROUGHAM rose to express his opinion finally on the bill, but did not intend to detain the House. He merely wished to state, that his friends who had opposed the bill upon principle, had not had their objections to it removed one tittle, by any thing that had been done upon it, and to enter his protest once for all against the

measure.

Mr TIERNEY would only say, that, in every point of view, he believed the bill to be one of the most detestable measures ever introduced to Parliament.

After a few observations from Mr W. Wynne, in favour of the measure, and Mr P. Moore against it, the gallery was cleared, but the bill was passed without a division.

Monday, March 16.-The estimates for the naval service were referred to the committee. When the Speaker left the chair,

Sir GEORGE WARRENDER observed, that, by the arrangements adopted for some years past, the expenditure for the naval services had been brought before the House in so distinct and clear a light, that it was not necessary for him to trespass upon their time. He must refer again to the reports of the committee on revenue and expenditure, and should move the sum of L. 2,480,000 odd for the service of the navy.

Sir M. W. RIDLEY moved the reduction of L. 2000 from the sum proposed, being the sum allowed to the two junior Lords of the Admiralty. The committee divided on the amendment: Majority against it 27.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the order of the day for taking into consideration that part of the Prince Regent's speech which related to the building of new churches and chapels.

The part of the speech being read from the chair, on which the order of the day was founded, the House resolved itself into a committee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose and addressed the House on the subject, in a speech replete with information, and formed on very correct and enlightenSome conversation ed views of the case. afterwards ensued; and the House resumed, and the report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow.

March 17.-Mr BROUGHAM brought up the report of the committee upon the education of the poor, and moved for leave to bring in a bill for appointing commissioners to inquire into the abuses in charities connected with education. Leave was given.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUEE

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rose, in pursuance of his notice, to mové for leave to bring in "a bill to amend the act for the encouragement of savings' banks." He stated, that the object of the bill was merely to remove some technical difficulties in the act of last session, and observed, that the prosperity of these establishments had far exceeded the most sanguine expectations. How much would the framer of these bills have been delighted, had he lived to witness the success of his efforts! From the 26th of August to the 7th of March, no less a sum than L. 675,000 had been invested in the Bank of England by different savings' banks. The right hon. gentleman most sincerely hoped that they would continue to prosper, as he considered them intimately connected with the morals, frugality, and industry of the people. Leave was given to bring in the bill.

Mr BROGDEN brought up the report of the committee of supply.

On the report of the bill for building new churches being brought up, Mr BROWN objected to the clause depriving the rector of the power of removing the curate, and confiding that power in the bishop of the diocese.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, after observing that it would be proper to enter into questions of minute detail at a further stage of the bill, stated, that the law was in most cases nearly the same as at present.

Mr GRANT was happy to hear that the measure would be extended to Scotland, as there were parishes there sixty miles long and thirty miles broad.

March 18.-Mr DOUGLAS obtained leave to bring in a bill for the protection of sav. ing banks in Scotland.

March 19.-The House met, and went through the several orders of the day without discussion, after which an adjournment took place till the 2d of April.

BRITISH CHRONICLE.

MARCH.

10. Ar a numerous meeting of the Caledonian Hunt, the propriety of erecting a national monument to the memory of King Robert Bruce, whose body has recently been discovered amidst the ruins of the Abbey of Dunfermline, was suggested, and highly approved of, and a subscription opened for the purpose.

13.-Jury Court.—Crim. Con.—In this case, which was tried in the Jury Court of Edinburgh, General Matthew Baillie of Carnbroe was plaintiff, and James Bryson, surgeon in Hamilton, who is married to Mrs Baillie's sister, was defendant. The act of adultery was positively denied, and the charge rested solely on circumstantial evidence. The trial lasted from ten in the morning of the 12th till five next morning, when the jury, after consulting together half an hour, found the charge not proven. This verdict was hailed by a crowded court with great applause. There were 150 witnesses in attendance for the defence.

16.-Fatal Effects of Passion.In the beginning of last week, a farmer, near Stirling, having an altercation with his servant girl, on account of her refusing to do what she was desired, he, in a rage, threw a pair of tongs at her, which missed the servant, but struck his own child, a girl about 14 years of age, on the head, of which she died soon after.

Dunfermline.-On Tuesday the 10th, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone

of the new church at Dunfermline took place, amidst a vast concourse of spectators, and under circumstances peculiarly grati fying to the feelings of all present. The stone was laid by the Earl of Elgin, with the usual masonic accompaniments.

Melancholy Shipwreck.-The brig Leander, Fish, 236 tons per register, of and for Shields from London, in ballast, being driven northward by the late furious gales, in the night between the 4th and 5th inst., struck on an outer rock, at Longside, near Slains Castle. The vessel being thereby thrown on her beam ends, fell with her gunwale under a shelving rock on the mainland, on which, at this awful moment, two of the crew jumped, and had with difficulty only just secured themselves, when, looking round, they found their unfortunate vessel, with all left on board, eight men, and a young woman passenger, had totally disappeared. Left in this nearly hopeless situa tion, the survivors, Andrew George and James Durward, clung to the rock, exposed to all the horrors of that most tempestuous and dreadful night. On the return of day-light, they found themselves under an impending precipice of prodigious height, from which there was hardly a possibility of their being seen from the land, or of their escaping from their perilous situation, but by the ocean; into which, after passing the day in a state of despair not to be expressed, the poor seamen, although much exhausted, threw themselves; and, swimming round a point,

got to an accessible part of the steep cliff, and with the greatest exertion gained the summit in the evening, relating the melancholy particulars of the disaster to some fishermen, who could hardly believe the sorrrowful tale, until confirmed by part of the wreck discovered afterwards.

18.-Dissenters. Two cases of special interest to dissenters were tried at Salisbury assizes, both brought forward by the Society in London for protecting the Religious Liberty of the Dissenters. The first was to establish the right of individuals to pass toll-free through turnpike gates in their way to places of worship, even when such places were not within the parish in which the parties reside. A verdict was given in favour of the dissenters.-The other was against the Reverend W. Easton, perpetual curate of Anstey, J. Jerrard, the tything man, and eight others, for assembling with cow-horns, large bells, and other instruments, and annoying therewith a congregation of dissenters, so as to interrupt the said congregation while assembling for the purpose of divine worship, and following the Rev. Mr Hopkins, the minister, to the boundaries of the parish, with oaths, execrations, and the above discordant sounds; of which the Reverend Mr Easton, J. Jerrard, and seven others, were found-Guilty.

19-Floating Church.-A meeting was yesterday held at the City of London Tavern, for the purpose of providing for our seamen the means of attending divine service in the port of London. The plan proposed met with general approbation, and a resolution for carrying it into effect was unanimously agreed to. It was as follows:-To fit out a large vessel, (to be called "The English Ark,") capable of containing 700 or 800 persons, who may assemble to hear preaching and prayer. This vessel is to be kept afloat upon the river; so that she may be removed for congregational purposes; and no distinction of religious opinion is to be maintained; all are to act according to conscience, and true blue is to be the insignia or flag of the ship.

High Court of Justiciary.-Celebrating Unlawful Marriages.-Yesterday the Court proceeded to the trial of Joseph Robertson, minister of the gospel, and William Pearson, spirit-dealer in the Canongate of Edinburgh, accused of celebrating unlawful marriages, and of forging, or causing to be forged, marriage lines, as if from the session-clerk of North Leith, upon which two soldiers of the 88th regiment were married by the said Joseph Robertson to two young women, servants to Mr Grant of Rothiemurchus.-The act of the Scottish Parliament, under which celebrators of clandestine marriages are liable to be brought to trial, is the 34th act of the first

session of the first Parliament of Charles II. (1661, cap. 34,) entitled" An act against clandestine and unlawful marriages,". whereby it is enacted, "that the celebrator of such marriages be banished the kingdom, never to return therein, under the pain of death."-It was proved by the two soldiers and their wives, that they were married by Mr Robertson, without having ob tained the certificates of proclamation, which the session-clerk of Stuthbert's refused to give them, because they had not produced the sanction of their officer. Robertson married them, and proposed to get the certificates for them afterwards, through the means of Pearson, who, for this pur posé, got from each couple 7s. 6d., while Robertson received 2s. 6d. for marrying them. Some days after, the prisoners delivered marriage lines to the parties, purporting to be signed by Mr Ross, session clerk of North Leith; but which were proved by Mr Ross and his son to be forgeries. Mr Robertson was found guilty of having celebrated the clandestine marriages, and both pannels guilty of uttering fabricated certificates, knowing them to be so. They received sentence this morning, ordaining them to three months' imprisonment in the Canongate jail; and, after wards, Robertson to be banished Scotland for life, and Pearson for 14 years.

21.-Commission of the Peace for Fife shire. The names of Dr Charles Stuart of Dunearn, and Mr James Stuart, younger of Dunearn, which were omitted from the last Commission of the Peace for the coun ty of Fife, owing to the Lord Lieutenant not recommending their names to be inserted in it, were, a few days ago, restored by the special order of the Lord Chancellor, who was at the same time pleased to desire, that it might be understood that he conceived the rule to be, that a name once inserted in the Commission ought not to have been omitted without cause shewn to the Great Seal, of which the Chancellor would judge for himself, after due and just investigation.

Illicit Distillation.-On the 18th, in the forenoon, Mr Mackenzie, supervisor, accompanied by Mr Watson, supervisor, and Messrs Gorrie and Meikle, officers of Excise, made an important seizure in Halkerston's Wynd, Edinburgh. Upon searching the house to which their information pointed, they could discover nothing wrong, although the smell clearly indicated the near vicinity of their object. Hearing some noise, however, in a dark closet, which they had already searched without effect, they entered it a second time, and found a man there, without any visible means of his having got in. He attempted to escape, but, upon being threatened, pointed to a small place which opened by a spring; and the Excisemen hav

ing crept through it, found themselves in a large vault, formed by one of the dead arches of the North Bridge, where a fine copper still, of 30 gallons content, was in full work, from sugar and molasses. The still, they learned, had been working for above a year, to the great prejudice of the revenue and the fair trader. The passage by which the casks and other necessary apparatus had been introduced, was carefully built up and plastered over, and no entrance left but that by which the Excisemen had got in; and they were obliged to procure instruments to break open the original entrance, before they could complete their seizure, which they at length conveyed safely to the Excise Office.

24-Jury Court.-Case of Damages. This day, Mr Leven, a Collector of Excise, obtained in the Jury Court, Edinburgh, a verdict of L. 2000 against Messrs Young, distillers at Burntisland, for having transmitted to the Lords of the Treasury groundless complaints against him, in consequence of which he had been dismissed.

26.-Juvenile Depravity.-High Court of Justiciary. Yesterday came on the trial of Patrick Main, George Stewart, George Aitchison, and John M'Nicol, accused of theft and housebreaking, and of being habit and repute thieves," in so far as, on the 13th September 1817, they did wickedly and feloniously break into and enter the house in Coates Crescent, in the parish of St Cuthbert's, and county of Edinburgh, belonging to Philip Hay, Esq. of Balmakewan, but which was at the time unoccupied, by forcing asunder one of the stauncheons, or iron bars, of one of the lower back windows thereof, and violently breaking open the fastened shutters of the same; and they did all and each of them steal and theftuously carry away a vast quantity of ladies' and gentlemen's wearing apparel, gold rings, napery, necklaces, bracelets, gold seals, and a great variety of other articles."

One of the pannels, Stewart, had hanged himself in prison since his indictment was served upon him; and John M'Nicol was outlawed for non-appearance, having made his escape from jail.

Main and Aitchison, and the others named in the indictment, the eldest of whom is only 16 years of age, are part of a numerous band of young depredators, who have long infested Edinburgh, and for whom the punishment of bridewell, which they had frequently experienced, seemed to have no terrors, and several of whom have been recently transported for various offences.

The fact of the robbery was distinctly proved against the prisoners, chiefly by the evidence of their accomplices; from which it appeared that they had gone out and into the house for several weeks, carrying off

articles of value; and that they had fre quently spent nights in it, fearlessly ca rousing, and afterwards deliberately laying themselves down to sleep in some of the beds.

The Jury returned a verdict, unanimously finding both pannels Guilty of the crimes libelled, but Aitchison Not Guilty of being habit and repute a thief. Thereafter the Chancellor of the Jury stated, that the Jury, by a very great majority, almost amounting to unanimity, recommended Aitchison to mercy.

Lord Gillies stated, that this was a most melancholy and distressing case; for it was a lamentable fact, that the greater part of the crimes committed in this country were by youthful depredators, of which the numbers who had lately appeared at that bar were most woful examples.

Lord Hermand proceeded to pass sentence of death upon the prisoners, when a scene of the utmost distress presented itself. The prisoners cried most piteously; and, when desired to stand up, fell down below the bar,-After some minutes delay, they were supported by the Police officers; and Lord Hermand, after a suitable admonition, in delivering which he seemed to be extremely agitated, and was often interrupted by the cries and lamentations of the prisoners, sentenced them to be executed at Edinburgh, on Wednesday the 29th day of April.

The following letter, which Main had written and contrived to send out of jail to Cameron, one of his young associates, was produced in evidence, and shews the maturity of vice to which these young of fenders had reached. The explanation of the flash terms with which it is so abundantly interlarded, and which rendered it inexplicable to any but the gang, was given by Main in his examination before the Sheriff.

"Dup up Cane,' (a) Oct. 1, 1817. "DEAREST BIFF,' (b)

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