a serious consideration, that by far the greater number of the persons who received pardons under the great seal were unable to avail themselves of the advantage to which they were entitled by the mercy extended to them by the Crown, in consequence of not being able to pay the fees. But it was not the mere fees which constituted the burthen of the charge. A great part of the expense was occasioned by the stamp duties. It appeared that a pardon could not be sent out without incurring an expense of more than 40%. This was certainly a great hardship, especially when it was considered that the persons to whom the mercy of the Crown was extended were often in great distress. It was with reference to the bill which he had stated to be in progress, that he had resolved to move for some papers which appeared to him necessary to enable their lordships to understand the subject when it should come before them. He concluded by moving, that there be laid before the House an account of the fees paid on suing out a pardon granted under the great seal. The Lord Chancellor said, he had no objection to the motion, but wished the words, "distinguishing the parts of the fees payable to different persons," to be added thereto. The Marquis of Lansdowne consented to this addition, and the motion was agreed to; as was also a subsequent motion of his lordship, for an Account of the Number of Pardons sued out during the last ten years. Lord Holland adverted to the heavy expense incurred in several cases where the parties indicted pleaded Not Guilty. The expense incurred was, indeed, so considerable, that professional men were actually in the habit of advising some of their clients to plead guilty to indictments charging them with offences of which they were certainly innocent, rather than incur the heavy expense arising from a plea of Not Guilty. He expressed a hope that some noble lord would take up this subject, with a view of remedying the evil. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, April 13. EDUCATION OF THE POOR BILL.] Mr. Brougham, in moving the second reading of the bill appointing commissioners to inquire into the application of (VOL. XXXVII. ) Charitable Funds for the purposes of Education in England and Wales, wished to explain the course which he deemed it advisable to be pursued in this business. It had been his intention to propose that the inquiry of the commissioners should extend to all charities whatever; but he was now of opinion, that it would be most advisable to confine for the present the inquiries of the commissioners to charities for purposes of education, with an understanding that additional powers would be given next session to extend the inquiry to all other charities. There would be ample employment for the commissioners for a considerable time in the metropolis, and twenty or thirty miles in its neighbourhood, and this would give time for finding out the sort of persons who could most efficaciously execute the provisions of the act. When, therefore, It would be necessary to appoint additional commissioners next session, it would be more easy to find proper per. sons for that purpose. Another purpose would be gained by the delay-it would serve as a warning to those great bodies by whom charitable funds were at present abused. From what had happened already, he was confident this time would not be lost. The bill was then read a second time. ROYAL BURGHS OF SCOTLAND-PETITION FROM WHITHORN.] Sir Samuel Romilly said, he held in his hands a petition, signed by 120 persons, who described themselves as Burgesses of the Royal Burgh of Whithorn in Scotland. This petition, it was stated, contained a very accurate picture of most of the Royal Burghs in Scotland. From the magistrates and town council, who chose the delegates, by whom the representatives were returned, not being elected by the burgesses, but by one another, it was a perfect mockery to say, that the elective franchise was enjoyed by the burgesses. The petitioners stated, that although by the charter of the Burgh, the magistrates and town council ought to be elected out of the inhabitants of the Burgh, yet it so happened, that at present five only out of the eighteen of their magistrates and council were inhabitants. The petitioners stated, that they were not desirous of any innovations, but they complained of the abuses which had crept into the Burgh system; and they appealed to a peculiar statute, in the teeth of which (40) these abuses had taken place. They stated, that they had heard with surprise, that the burgesses would be satisfied with the constitution of the Burgh, if the magistrates were subjected to an audit. They would only be satisfied with a real representation, instead of a nominal one, as at present, there being now no popular election; but the magistrates and town council, who were not chosen by the people, and among whom was a nobleman, and several gentlemen in the neighbourhood, nominating certain delegates, who, along with the delegates from certain other Burghs, nominated a representative to parliament. They contended, that it was a breach of the privileges of the House of Commons for a lord of parliament or lords-lieutenant of counties to interfere with elections. The petition was ordered to lie on the table and to be printed. Address on the Prince Regent's Speech at the, Beer; Petition against the Monopoly of, 930 Army Estimates, 701, 756, 862. 1072. Blood Money, 615. Assizes in the Northern Counties, 159, 444, Breach of Privilege-Interference of a Peer 510. Bankrupt Laws, 88. Bank Restriction, 113. in the Election of a Member of the House Chimney Sweepers Regulation Bill, 216, 506 Bank Restriction Continuance Bill, 1230, Churches; Building of New, 1116, 1162. 1283. Conviction of Offenders Rewards Bill, 690. Copy Right Bill, 756, 1190, 1212, 1213, 1226. Cotton Factories; Petition for restricting the Navy Estimates, 148, 1102, 1157. County Gaols; Right of Magistrates to Country Bankers Notes Bill, 1284. Day, Judge; Conduct of, 557. Education of the Poor; Motion for a Com- Education of the Poor Bill, 1297. Exchequer Bills, 148, 205, 397, 419. Finance Committee appointed, 128. 1223. Gambling Suppression Bill, 330, 567. Gas Lights Bill; Bath, 576. Habeas Corpus Suspension Act; Motion res- Habeas Corpus Suspension Act; Repeal of, High Constable of Westminster, 418. Hone, Mr. 134, 146. Northern Circuits; Motion respecting the, Ordnance Estimates, 1280. Pardons under the Great Seal; Motion res- Petitions complaining of the Operation of the Poor Laws, 66, 150, 735, 1055. 740. Political Books; Petitions of J. B. Mellor, Income Tax Returns and Papers; Destruc- Reform of Parliament; Petitions relating to, Indemnity Bill, 881, 953, 965, 1057, 1080. Informations; Ex-Officio, 134, 146. Ireland; Petition respecting the State of the 88, 418, 752, 945, 1183, 1219. Repeal of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Report of the Secret Committee on the in- Right of Magistrates to visit County Gaols, 1143. Irish Grand Juries Presentment Act Suspen- Royal Burghs of Scotland, 423, 1291, 1298. sion Bill, 111, 145. Irish Courts of Justice, 700. Irish Window Tax, 1185. Leather Tax Repeal Bill, 1043, 1193, 1226. London Prisons; Motion for a Committee on Salt Duties, 952. Saving Banks Amendment Bill, 1156, 1177. London; Motion respecting the Revenues of Secret Committee on the Internal State of the City of, 593. Longitude Discovery Bill, 876. Lunatic Asylum Bill; Scotch, 142. Marriage of the Princess Elizabeth, 1229. the Country; Motion for, 162, 200. Re- Seditious Practices; Petition from Manches. Shops; Bill to prevent the Privately Stealing Slave Trade; Treaty with Spain for prevent- Slave Trade; Motion respecting Spanish | Thames Watermen, 1187. Spain; Treaty with, for preventing the Slave Spies and Informers; Motion respecting the Surgery Practice Regulation Bill, 396, 1985. Tithe Laws Amendment Bill, 545, 1181. Votes of the House; Mode of Printing the, 146. Weights and Measures, 1080. INDEX OF NAMES.-HOUSE OF LORDS. Auckland, Lord, 788. Bathurst, Earl, 532, 575, 794, 1065. Lansdowne, Marquis of, 12, 123, 127, 438, 533, Lauderdale, Earl of, 117, 118, 119, 122, 517, Carnarvon, Earl of, 125, 127, 438, 519, 669, Liverpool, Earl of, 5, 15, 117, 118, 120, 126, 718, 726, 731, 753, 734, 810. Downshire, Marquis of, 1100. Eldon, Lord, see Lord Chancellor. Grenville, Lord, 719. Grosvenor, Earl, 17, 117, 119, 156, 515, 517, Holland, Lord, 4, 17, 56, 215, 438, 439, 518, 158, 438, 516, 517, 518, 533, 607, 634, 720, Lord Chancellor (Eldon) 17, 118, 439, 652, Montrose, Duke of, 606, 609, 617, 623. Rolle, Lord, 804. Selsey, Lord, 6. Shaftesbury, Earl of, 1184, 1210. Sidmouth, Viscount, 17, 56, 61, 119, 124, King, Lord, 120, 121, 439, 518, 531, 732, 791. Westmoreland, Earl of, 808. INDEX OF NAMES.-HOUSE OF COMMONS. Acland, Sir Thomas Dyke, 1055. Abercromby, hon. James, 112, 430, 820. Allan, George, 693. Babington, Thomas, 331, 709, 1157. 1221. Althorp, Viscount, 18, 28, 31, 336, 862, 911, Bankes, George, 508, 510. 1043, 1197. Ashurst, William Henry, 496. Atkins, Alderman John, 398, 601, 1180, 1285. Barclay, Charles, 600, 937, 1115. Bathurst, right hon. Charles Bragge, 97, 99, Bennet, hon. Henry Grey, 54, 110, 216, 256, |