been continued by the liberality of Parlia-, and, at the same time, by diminishing the ment. Motion agreed to. Poor-rates-it would confer a great benefit rather than effect any injury to private property. Of the few instances in which INCLOSURES.] Mr. Pryme said, that the experiment had been tried, he would the object he had in view was to induce mention two. In one parish the plan was the House to pass a Resolution directing adopted in 1819, at which time the Poorthat in every Inclosure Bill hereafter rates amounted to 2,000l. a-ycar; but in passed, a clause shall be inserted to pro- 1830, after it had been in operation for ten vide for the allotment of a certain portion years, the Poor-rates were reduced to 1,4007. of land, to such of the labouring poor a-year. In the other instance that of as shall be willing to hire it at a moderate Saffron Walden, in consequence of the rent. He apprehended that would be adoption of this plan, the Poor-rates had one of the best modes of withdrawing the been reduced from 3,000l. to 2,000l. a-year. agricultural labourer from illegal or profli- Independent of this reduction in the Poorgate pursuits, and of restoring to him, rates, there was another point of view at least in some degree, those habits of in which the plan seemed to have worked steadiness and providence which were wont most advantageously. During the period to be his chief characteristics. The plan of the disturbances in the agricultural dishad already been tried in several places, tricts, although the surrounding country and particularly at Saffron Walden, with was nightly alarmed by fires, and the day complete success; and by the Report of a rendered dangerous by tumultuous bodies Society, calling itself "The Labourers' of machine-breakers, the parish of Saffron Friend Society," it appeared that it had led Walden was wholly undisturbed, and no not only to a considerable increase of the destruction of property took place there. comforts of the poor, but also to a material It appeared, too, that the rent of the small diminution of the Poor-rates in every portions of land allotted to the labourer instance in which it had been carried into had always been punctually and cheerfully operation. What he proposed was, "that paid, without any demand for reduction, a portion of land be allotted out of the although all other rents of land had been commonable lands, or waste grounds to the lowered nearly thirty per cent. Further, incumbent of the living, and the parish it appeared that where the plan had been officers, for the time being, and the owners adopted, the idle and mischievous among of 100 acres of land, in such parish, as the rural population-the thief and the trustees, to let the same in small portions poacher-had been converted into honest at low rents, to all labourers resident in and industrious men. Having mentioned the parish, who may be desirous of hiring the general objects of his Motion, as well as the same-such rents to be paid to the some of the results of previous experiments, parish officers for the time being, in aid of which should recommend it to the adoption the Poor-rates." And in contemplation of of the House, he might, perhaps, be allowed any objection that might be raised as to the to cite another instance, which was, perimpossibility of particular parishes being haps, stronger than any to which he had able to comply with such a regulation, yet alluded, and which seemed to afford he had added this proviso-"unless any conclusive evidence of the propriety of a special reason can be shown why such general resolution of this kind being adopted. allotment cannot conveniently or properly In an Inclosure Bill passed for a parish be made in that particular instance. He in the county of Huntingdon, in 1830, a trusted, therefore, that he had so worded clause was inserted for the allotment of the Motion, as effectually to shut out any about twenty acres of land, to be let out in objection that such a resolution or such the manner that he proposed, to the agria plan could not be adopted, because it cultural population of the place, which could not be made applicable in every consisted of about 400 persons. The ininstance. One of the arguments which he habitants of this parish had previously been had heard urged against the proposition rather idle and disorderly than otherwise; was, that it would interfere to the pre- the Sunday was commonly spent in drunkenjudice of private property. He maintained ness and riot-pauperism prevailed to a that it would have no effect of the kind very great extent, and little of providence on the contrary, by improving the con- or industry was to be found amongst them. dition of the poor-by rendering them more The Bill had now been in operation for contented, more happy, and more orderly, little more than twelve months; but, during that short period, the change effected in the disposition of the inhabitants had been most striking; they were become industrious, provident, steady, happy, and comfortable. Many burnings of agricultural stock, and much breaking of machinery, took place around them; but the inhabitants of this parish, though formerly of a disposition to join in such proceedings, not only abstained from doing so, but, in the only instance of a fire which took place within the parish, they turned out to a man, to save everything that it was possible to save. The hon. Member concluded by moving the following Resolution:-"That the Committee, on every Inclosure Bill, shall, in their Report, certify whether a portion of land, as near to the village as conveniently may be, and not less than in the proportion of one acre to every twenty-five inhabitants, according to the last population census, has been by such Bill directed to be allotted out of the commonable lands or waste grounds, to the incumbent of the living, and the parish officers for the time being, and the owners of 100 acres of land in such parish, as trustees, in trust to let the same in small portions, at low rents, to all labourers resident in the parish, who may be desirous of hiring the same, such rents to be paid to the parish officers for the time being, in aid of the Poor-rates, or whether there be any special reason why such allotment cannot conveniently or properly be made in that particular instance." Mr. Ilume did not rise to oppose the Motion, but he thought that on one of such importance the Resolution ought to be printed, and full time allowed for its consideration. He would therefore propose that the debate on this question be adjourned to that day week. Debate adjourned. POLICE-OFFICES (LONDON).] On the Motion of Mr. Lamb, the House went into a Committee on the Metropolitan PoliceOffices Bill Mr. Pease proposed a clause, to the effect to give Magistrates the power of punishing persons who kept places for bear-baiting, dog-fighting, and other cruel sports of that kind, which tended so much to demoralize those who assisted at them, and also to punish those who were present at such sports. On the Question that the clause be brought up, Mr. Lamb said, he felt it to be his duty to oppose the clause which the hon. member for Durham wished to introduce. He saw no reason why the sports of the poor should be interfered with more than those of the rich. If individuals had cause to complain of any riot or disturbance occurring in places where such sports were carried on, it was open to them to indict such places as a nuisance. Mr. Lennard said, those practices might be described by some as amusements; for his own part, he viewed them as cruelties. He, therefore, should support the clause. It was true, that individuals might proceed by indictment; but the process was so dilatory and so uncertain, that it was almost useless to resort to it. He concurred in the propriety of the clause, and was glad that the hon. Member had brought it forward. Mr. Hill opposed the clause. He did not see how it could be fairly agreed to, unless the House was prepared to put down coursing, pigeon-shooting, angling, &c. The House would not surely proceed on the puritanical principle and Compound for sins they are inclined to, Mr. Rotch contended the clause was very desirable with the view to prevent the practice of frequenting these pits for fighting dogs, and pursue other such inhuman sports, by disorderly and dishonest persons. They were too often the haunts of vagabonds and thieves. The clause, too, was to be confined to within five miles of the metropolis, and that with the view to prevent the congregating together of loose and idle persons, who often met in these places for no other purpose than to plan the robbery of individuals, burglary, and rifling of banks in this city. The Solicitor General was convinced that the argument used by the last speaker, when calmly considered, would be deemed an objection strong enough to induce the House to reject the clause. If these consequences were to be anticipated from the continuance of the practice, why was not a Bill of a general nature brought in to repress these sports throughout the country? The interests of morality would seem to require a general measure instead of beginning to legislate for a district in the manner of an experiment. Mr. George F. Young was of opinion, that the proposed clause ought to be agreed to, because it would have the effect of putting an end to practices which had a demoralizing influence on the people. been continued by the liberality of Parlia-, and, at the same time, by diminishing the ment. Motion agreed to. INCLOSURES.] Mr. Pryme said, that the object he had in view was to induce the House to pass a Resolution directing that in every Inclosure Bill hereafter passed, a clause shall be inserted to provide for the allotment of a certain portion of land, to such of the labouring poor as shall be willing to hire it at a moderate rent. He apprehended that would be one of the best modes of withdrawing the agricultural labourer from illegal or profligate pursuits, and of restoring to him, at least in some degree, those habits of steadiness and providence which were wont to be his chief characteristics. The plan had already been tried in several places, and particularly at Saffron Walden, with complete success; and by the Report of a Society, calling itself "The Labourers' Friend Society," it appeared that it had led not only to a considerable increase of the comforts of the poor, but also to a material diminution of the Poor-rates in every instance in which it had been carried into operation. What he proposed was, "that a portion of land be allotted out of the commonable lands, or waste grounds to the incumbent of the living, and the parish officers, for the time being, and the owners of 100 acres of land, in such parish, as trustees, to let the same in small portions at low rents, to all labourers resident in the parish, who may be desirous of hiring the same-such rents to be paid to the parish officers for the time being, in aid of the Poor-rates." And in contemplation of any objection that might be raised as to the impossibility of particular parishes being able to comply with such a regulation, he had added this proviso-"unless any special reason can be shown why such allotment cannot conveniently or properly be made in that particular instance. He trusted, therefore, that he had so worded the Motion, as effectually to shut out any objection that such a resolution or such a plan could not be adopted, because it could not be made applicable in every instance. One of the arguments which he had heard urged against the proposition was, that it would interfere to the prejudice of private property. He maintained that it would have no effect of the kind on the contrary, by improving the condition of the poor-by rendering them more contented, more happy, and more orderly, - Poor-rates-it would confer a great benefit rather than effect any injury to private property. Of the few instances in which the experiment had been tried, he would mention two. In one parish the plan was adopted in 1819, at which time the Poorrates amounted to 2,000l. a-year; but in 1830, after it had been in operation for ten years, the Poor-rates were reduced to 1,4007. a-year. In the other instance-that of Saffron Walden, in consequence of the adoption of this plan, the Poor-rates had been reduced from 3,000l. to 2,000l. a-year. Independent of this reduction in the Poorrates, there was another point of view in which the plan seemed to have worked most advantageously. During the period of the disturbances in the agricultural districts, although the surrounding country was nightly alarmed by fires, and the day rendered dangerous by tumultuous bodies of machine-breakers, the parish of Saffron Walden was wholly undisturbed, and no destruction of property took place there. It appeared, too, that the rent of the small portions of land allotted to the labourer had always been punctually and cheerfully paid, without any demand for reduction, although all other rents of land had been lowered nearly thirty per cent. Further, it appeared that where the plan had been adopted, the idle and mischievous among the rural population-the thief and the poacher-had been converted into honest and industrious men. Having mentioned the general objects of his Motion, as well as some of the results of previous experiments, which should recommend it to the adoption of the House, he might, perhaps, be allowed to cite another instance, which was, perhaps, stronger than any to which he had yet alluded, and which seemed to afford conclusive evidence of the propriety of a general resolution of this kind being adopted. In an Inclosure Bill passed for a parish in the county of Huntingdon, in 1830, a clause was inserted for the allotment of about twenty acres of land, to be let out in the manner that he proposed, to the agricultural population of the place, which consisted of about 400 persons. The inhabitants of this parish had previously been rather idle and disorderly than otherwise; the Sunday was commonly spent in drunkenness and riot-pauperism prevailed to a very great extent, and little of providence or industry was to be found amongst them. The Bill had now been in operation for little more than twelve months; but, during had been diminished, and the revenue of the country impaired. The Marquess of Lansdown said, that a part of the disappointment arose from the discouragement which the consumption of the lighter wines had received, in consequence of the disease which had prevailed in the summer. The propriety of the system on which his Majesty's Ministers had acted, of relieving industry as much as possible, was exemplified by the great increase which had taken place in the manufacture of printed cottons; but they were only enabled to take the duty off them by the help of that small duty on the raw material which they had imposed, and which they were now happy to remove. Bill went through a Committee. HOUSE OF LORDS, MINUTES.] Bills. Read a third time :-Personal Estates; Cotton Wool Duty Repeal. the Dissenters of several Places, for Relief from their Sale of Beer Act.-By the Earl of ROSEBERY, from Perth, other House of Parliament, was a petition under the Grenville Act, and he knew no instance of a Bill of this kind being brought forward, while the only proceeding taken was such a petition. For this there was a good reason. The petition under the Grenville Act was a judicial proceeding; there were two parties to it, and each of which might call and examine any witnesses he liked. It was competent, therefore, for these parties to call persons as witnesses, whose evidence was of no importance, but who would, by being called, be indemnified for bribery done at the election. Such consequences would not follow from any other proceeding in that or the other House. In other cases, the whole was under the control of the House, and it could prescribe what witnesses should be called. He directed their Lordships' attention to this difference, that they might be aware of the consequences which would arise from passing the Bill in its present shape, and be induced to admit a clause to guard against them. He must make an observation or two arising out of the Bill. It was not, like the other Bills which had passed, having in view a similar object. All other Bills of the kind were only to indemnify the persons examined, but this Bill proposed something altogether different. It was impossible to read it and compare it With other Bills to the same purport, and not discover the difference. It was a Bill to indemnify all persons examined as witnesses, candidates, and all others who had violated the law and been guilty of bribery. The title of all other Bills was to indemnify persons examined under the Bill for proving the bribery of the said borough. The title of the present Bill was an Act to indemnify all persons guilty of bribery in the election of burgesses for the borough of Lord Lyndhurst rose, not to oppose the Stafford. This was not an accident, for Motion, but to make a few remarks to their the first clause corresponded to the title. Lordships. He thought it appeared from It was to the effect that "every person the Bill and the evidence, that bribery to a whatever, guilty of bribery at the election great extent had existed at Stafford, both of Stafford, whether examined as witnesses on former occasions and at the late election. or not, should be entirely and completely It appeared from the evidence, that not indemnified." Then followed another only the electors, but the candidates were clause, which was altogether useless. After deeply implicated in these transactions, and this first clause had indemnified all persons, he considered it necessary that their Lord- the other indemnified those who might be ships should take some effectual measure to examined as witnesses. That was intendput a stop to similar proceedings. His ob-ed to mislead. It reminded him of the old ject in rising, was only to make an observa-story of the Oxford scholar, told, he betion in respect to what had come out in the Committee, that their Lordships might be prepared for the Bill. It appeared that the only proceedings now depending in the for an Amendment of the Bankrupt Laws; and from the Coopers of Leith, for a Repeal of the Assessed Taxes, and of the Stamp Duty on Receipts.-By the Duke of RICHof LONDON and BRISTOL, Lords DINORBEN, DACRE, ROLLE, FEVERSHAM, BEXLEY, BARHAM, and SUFFIELD, from a very great Number of Places,-against Slavery.By the Duke of NEWCASTLE, by the Marquess of DONEGAL, by Earl FITZWILLIAM, by the Bishops of LONDON and LICHFIELD, and by Lord KENYON, from several Places, for the Better Observance of the Sabbath.-By MOND, the Earls FITZWILLIAM and RADNOR, the Bishops the Marquess of BRISTOL, from Bury St. Edmund's, in favour of the Factories Bill. STAFFORD INDEMNITY.] The Earl of Radnor moved that the Stafford Election Indemnity Bill be read a second time. lieved, by Mr. Windham in the House of Commons, who made a large hole for his cat, and a little one for his kitten. He had compared the Bill with the Indemnity Bills for East Retford, Penryn, Barnstaple, and found it different from all them. The departure from the customary form of such Bills was evidently designed, and he mentioned the circumstance to make their Lordships aware of it, and put them upon their guard against Bills coming from the other House, particularly if they professed to contemplate a laudable object. Lord Wynford concurred in the remarks of his noble friend. If their Lordships were to pass the Bill in its present shape, it would be an encouragement to bribery. He hoped, therefore, to see it amended in the Committee. He would allow indemnification only to those who really were examined, and he would except the candidates at past elections and their agents. Some of his observations had been much misrepresented on this point; for there could not be a greater enemy to bribery than he was; but he wished to do away with it in the most effectual way, by punishing the principals who corrupted, and if any were to escape, let it be the unfortunate misled wretches who were seduced into the offence. If there were not some alterations made, the prime movers of guilt would escape. The Earl of Radnor did not see, that he was answerable for the phraseology of the Bill, and, therefore, was not called upon to defend it. He did not, however, see that there was so much to find fault with, as the noble Lord appeared to make out. The enactments of it he thought precisely in conformity with the title of it. Undoubtedly there was some affinity in the present Bill But to former Bills of the same nature. there was an essential difference in this re spect, for all the former Bills, except that for the indemnification of witnesses on Lord Melville's trial, had originated in that House. The present Bill, too, had been brought forward under very different circumstances from former Bills. As to what the noble Lord had said with reference to the second clause, was not exactly correct; the fact was, that while the first clause enacted a certain indemnification, the second clause limited that indemnity with reference to witnesses. of the 6th of November last, and of such as have been liberated under the Order in Council of the 3rd of December. On the Motion of Mr. HUME, an Account of the Ordnance Stores now in the Dock-yards at Woolwich, and elsewhere, as also of the Storekeeper General's Stores in Tooley Street: also an Account of the Expense incurred by the Payment of his Majesty's Diplomatic Servants and Consuls abroad for the three years ending January 5th, 1833.-On the Motion of Mr. PEASE, an Account of the Number of Tiles and Bricks upon which Duty was paid in Scotland and England between January the 5th, 1832, and the same day 1833.-On the Motion of Mr. WARBURTON, an Account of the Number of Convictions in the Metropolis, and all the Counties, and of Publicans and Beer-house Keepers Convicted of keeping their Houses open at Unlawful Hours, from the 1st of April, 1851, to the 1st of April, 1833.-On the Motion of Mr. SPRING RICE, Accounts of the Receipts and Application of the Revenue of the Ports of Ireland, and of the Names and Number of Pilots and Vessels employed during the last three years: also an Account of the Annual value of the Property in each of the several Parishes within the Metropolitan Police District upon which the last Rate for the Relief of the Poor prior to the 5th April, 1853, was assessed. Bills. Read a third time:-Payment of Debts; Assizes Removal. Read a second time:-Soap Duties. Petitions presented. By Mr. G. YOUNG, from Newcastle; and Mr. INGHAM, from South Shields,-against the Embargo on Dutch Shipping.-By Mr. COTES, from Market Drayton, for the Repeal of the Sale of Beer Act; and from Willington, for a Repeal of the Duty on Malt.-By Mr. MARK PHILIPS, from the Manchester New Mechanics' Institution, for a Repeal of the Taxes on Knowledge.-By Lord MILTON, Captain BOUVERIE, Sir ROBERT Bateson, and Messrs. SCHOLEFIELD, DAWSON, WHITBREAD, E. BULLER, POULTER, and INGHAM, from a great many Places,-against Slavery.-By Sir ROBERT BATESON and Mr. DAWSON, from several Places,-for a Better Observance of the Sabbath.-By Mr. MARK PHILIPS, from Manchester, for Relief for the Dissenters from their present Grievances. other times it had been the policy of England to assist the smaller States of Europe against the oppression of the more powerHolland against France; but it must be ful; and particularly, she had upheld confessed, that the recent policy of England, with regard to the King of Holland, was Bill read a second time, and ordered to of a very opposite character. Not only had be committed on Monday. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Friday, May 10, 1833. MINUTES.] Papers ordered. On the Motion of Alderman THOMPSON, an Account of all the Ships detained in the Ports of the United Kingdom under the Order in Council England been a party to a proceeding which deprived that monarch of a great portion of his dominion, but it had also seized all the Dutch shipping lying in our harbours, and had detained them for six months, while every day our men of war were capturing Dutch vessels on the high |