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seamen on outward-bound voyages two or three months' wages in advance, with the understanding that they were engaged to the ship out and home. In cases of desertion at foreign ports (which were not unfrequent in consequence of the temptation often held out of getting higher wages on board other vessels), the seaman forfeited whatever wages were due to him; but this was very trifling, and in many cases nothing at all, as the wages advanced were not covered by the voyage out. Now to remedy the evil as far as possible, he proposed to give the owners of the ship from which the man deserted, a power over the wages accruing to him from his services in any other by which he might return. This, when known, would, he thought, be found no ineffectual means of preventing desertions in foreign ports, from which so much inconvenience often arose to the merchant service. The right hon. gentleman stated, that if the committee would give him leave, he would have the bill printed for the consideration of members; and concluded by moving, that leave be given to bring in a bill to regulate the number of apprentices to be taken on board British merchant vessels.

Mr. Bernal felt great pleasure in seeing this subject taken up by the right honourable gentleman opposite.

After a few words from Mr. Ricardo,

Mr. T. Wilson declared it to be his opinion that the protection which this bill would give to apprentices till they reached the age of twenty-one, would create for the country a nursery of active and able seamen at the least possible

expense.

Mr. Plummer said a few words.

Mr. Hume expressed a hope that the right honourable gentleman opposite would not hurry it through the house, on account of its vast importance to a very numerous class of the community.

Mr. Huskisson assured the hon. member for Aberdeen that he had no intention of hurrying the bill through the house.

Mr. Ricardo wished to know whether the sailors were friendly to the measure. He had no doubt that their employers were, because they were enabled to lower the rate of wages by increasing the number of apprentices. He thought that the navy would not receive that benefit from it which seemed to be anticipated: his reason for thinking so was, that our sailors would seek employment in the merchant service of other countries if the rate of wages was unduly lowered in their own. Should that be the case, where would hon. gentlemen find that nursery for the navy of which they now came forward to talk so largely?—The motion was agreed to.

The house then resumed.

Mr. Courtenay then brought up the report of the committee, which was agreed to, and leave was then given to bring in the bill.

Mr. H. Twiss moved for leave to bring in a bill for regulating the appointment of assessors at elections.-Leave was granted to bring in the bill.

Mr. Alderman Wood brought in a bill for rebuilding London bridge. -Read a first time.

The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the house adjourned.

House of Lords, March 14.A person from the East Indiahouse presented an account of sala

ries,

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House of Commons, March 14.— A person from the East India house presented resolutions of the court of directors for granting peusions. Laid on the table.

Petitions were presented for a bill for the recovery of small debts, against the insolvent debtors' act, the duty on coals, the duty on apprentice indentures, and the turnpike act.

Mr. H. Twiss brought in a bill for regulating the appointment of assessors at elections.-Read the first time, and ordered to be read the second time on Monday, and to be printed.

Sir J. Macintosh said he rose to give notice, that he would, as soon as possible after the holidays, bring under the consideration of the house the state of the criminal law.

Mr. Wurre moved for a return of all places in England having a separate and local jurisdiction for

the trial of criminal offences, the periods when the sessions were held, and the number of prisoners tried from January 1821 to January 1822.-Ordered.

Mr. Bastard presented a petition from the publicans of Little Holme, praying for the removal of the restriction on spirit licences.— Laid on the table.

Mr. Evans gave notice, at the request of the honourable member for Bramber (Mr. Wilberforce), that that honourable member would on Monday next present a petition from a body of the people called Quakers, calling for a gradual abolition of the slave-trade throughout the British colonies.

Sir John Newport moved the second reading of the Irish grand jury presentment bill.

The bill was then read a second time. On the question "that it be committed on Monday,"

Mr. C. Hutchinson urged the right honourable baronet to postpone the measure till it could be more thoroughly considered.

Sir J. Newport said it would be better to let the bill go through the committee, after which it might be postponed for re-consideration.

After a few words from Mr. Dawson, the bill was ordered to be committed on Monday.

Mr. Peel moved that the house resolve itself into a committee on the King's property bill.

After a few words from Mr. Bennet, Mr. Peel, Mr. Warre, Mr. Scarlett, and the AttorneyGeneral, the bill went through the committee.

After a few words from Mr. Scarlett, the house resumed, and the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

On

On the motion of Mr. Plunket, a select committee was appointed to consider of the local taxation of Dublin.

Sir R. Wilson presented a petition from St. John's, Southwark, against the fees in the court of requests.-Ordered to lie on the

table.

Lord Palmerston moved the order of the day for a committee on the mutiny bill.

Colonel Davies spoke at length upon the hardship of discharging officers at the will of the crown, and without a court-martial, and moved as an amendment—“That it be an instruction to the committee on the mutiny bill, to insert a clause to prevent the dismission of officers from the army without trial by courts-martial, and to prevent the punishment of any officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier, who shall have been previously tried and sentenced by a court-martial, from being carried beyond the extent and import of such sentence."

The amendment was opposed by Lord Palmerston, Mr. E.W.Wynne, Lord Hotham, and Sir F. Blake ; and supported by Mr. C. H. Hutchinson and Mr. Hume.

The question was now put, and the amendment was negatived without a division.

The original question, "that the Speaker do leave the chair," was then put and carried.

The house having gone into the committee,

Mr. Brogden (the chairman) put the question, that the bill be read a first time.

The bill afterwards passed through the committee; and the report was ordered to be received on Monday.

The house resolved itself into a committee of supply.

Sir J. Osborne moved the several items and extras for the navy. There was a diminution, he stated, from last year, of 216,864l. 16s. 3d.: the sum

-

for the present year would be 5,442,540l. 6s. 8d. The several items were afterwards detailed, and severally carried. The house resumed. Report ordered to be brought up on Monday. The third reading of the national debt reduction bill was, on the motion of Lord Hamilton, postponed till Monday.

The house then resolved into a committee of ways and means.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved a resolution for applying the surplus of grants from the consolidated fund of Ireland, and of that to the poor clergy of Scotland, accruing since 1817, to the purposes of the last vote in the committee of supply.-The resolution. was carried.

469,0471., the surplus of grants in the intermediate years between 1817 and 1822.- Resolution carried.

4,800,000l. to be paid into the exchequer from the commissioners of half-pay and pensions. The resolution was carried.

The next resolution was for applying any repayments of exchequer bills advanced in aid of public works, which should be made before the 5th of April, 1824.-Carried.

A resolution for applying unclaimed dividends and lottery prizes.-Carried.

A resolution for applying the sum of 8,700,000l. growing produce of the consolidated fund beyond the annual charges of the fund.-Carried.

The

The house resumed; the report to be received on Monday. The Irish yeomanry bill was read a third time, and passed.

The marine mutiny bill went through a committee; the report was brought up, and ordered to be re-committed on Monday.

Sir T. Acland brought up the report on the lime exemption from toll bill. Second reading on Wednesday next.

Mr. Huskisson presented a petition from Belfast, praying for the repeal of the Union duties, which was laid on the table.

Mr. Goulburn brought up the estimates for the Irish incorporated school societies. Ordered to be printed.

Mr. S. Rice moved for various returns of indictments and prosecutious, acquittals, convictions, and punishments in Ireland, during the last seven years.-Ordered. Adjourned.

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House of Lords, March 17.The Earl of Shaftesbury presented a petition from Waterford against the insolvent debtors' act.

Lord Ellenborough presented a similar petition from John Smith, of Rugby, in Warwickshire.

The bills on the table were forwarded one stage, and the house adjourned.

counties read a second time, and committed.

The King's property bill was read a third time, and passed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the third reading of the national debt reduction bill.

It was opposed by Mr. Hume and others.

Mr. G. Bennet moved as an amendment, that the bill be read that day six months, which was negatived by 109 against 59.

Mr. Baring proposed as an amendment, that the sinking fund be limited to three millions of real surplus, which was negatived by 100 against 72.

The bill was then passed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer moved, that the order of the day be then read for the house resolving itself into a committee, to consider farther of the supply to be granted to his Majesty. The order was read accordingly.

On the question, that the Speaker do now leave the chair,

Mr. Creevey said, that understanding that when the Speaker left the chair, it was the intention of an honourable gentleman opposite to bring forward the ordnance estimates, he should take the opportunity of calling the attention of the house to a point very intimately connected with them. Gentlemen would have observed, that in those estimates there was an item of 24,4121. for the erection and repair of fortifications and other public works in Barbadoes. As it had repeatedly fallen to his lot to call the attention of the house to this subject, he should Dr. Phillimore postponed his confine himself on the present ocmotion for a committee on the casion to a repetition of the main marriage act amendment bill. facts and arguments which he Bill for the better division of had formerly advanced. Having

House of Commons, March 17.Petitions were presented against the insolvent debtors' act-for the consolidation of the London sewers against the coal dutyagainst any alteration in the sugar duty, from Ireland.

acts

The London bridge bill was read a second time, and committed.

gone

gone over those several facts, he moved as an amendment the following resolutions:

"Resolved, That it appears to this house, from the estimate laid before it for the service of the ordnance for the present year, there is a sum of 24,4121. for erecting and repairing fortifications in the island of Barbadoes.

"That by an act of the colonial assembly of Barbadoes, which was passed in the year 1663, it was enacted, that, for the purpose of maintaining the reparation of the forts, the building of a sessions house, and a prison, and all other public charges incumbent on the government there, an impost or custom upon all dead commodities of the growth of the island, and to be shipped off the same, should be paid to his majesty, his heirs and successors, for ever, after the following rate or manner, that is to say, 4 in specie for every 5

score.

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"That it further appears from the journals of this house, that, in the first year of her majesty Queen Anne, a petition was presented to it from the planters and merchants concerned in the island of Barbadoes, setting forth the colonial act of Barbadoes before referred to, and praying that the said duty of 4 per centum might be applied to the reparation and building of fortifications, and defraying all charges incident to the government there, as the same was originally intended, instead of being diverted to other purposes, as the same then was;' and that, in consequence of such petition, the house did address her majesty Queen Anne, praying that the duty might be restored to the purposes for which it was created by

the colonial act of Barbadoes, and that this house was informed by a message from her majesty that she would give such directions accordingly.'

"That, notwithstanding such specific application of this fund by the colonial act of Barbadoes to the building and repairing of fortifications in that island, and notwithstanding the recognition of that law by this house, and by her majesty Queen Anne, this fund is now for the most part consumed by pensioners in this country, including even members of this house or their families, whilst the fortifications and other public works of Barbadoes are left to be maintained by money raised from taxes on the people; and that, under all the circumstances above stated, and adverting likewise to the present afflicting condition of a great portion of these kingdoms, this house considers it to be alike due to its own character and to the feelings of the people, humbly to request his majesty to give directions that the said duty of 44 per centum in the island of Barbadoes may be again restored to the original purposes for which it was created."

Which was negatived by 86 against 56.

On re-entering the gallery, we found the house in committee of supply, and

Mr. R. Ward bringing forward the ordnance estimates. The hon. gentleman, after briefly stating that, upon every vote demanded, except one, there would appear a diminution from the grant of last year, detailed the sums he asked for, in the following order :-Ordinary, 460,3747.; extraordinaries, 269,4647.; unprovided, 10,6617.;

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