Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

When chose

prevent the granting of any patent office in the Colonies,
for any longer time than the grantee shall discharge the
duties thereof, in person, and behave well therein ;—
for the more effectual prevention of child stealing ;—to
repeal the Acts which rendered it penal to bury dead
bodies in woollen cloths;-to permit the exportation of
tea to the British colonies in America; as well as to
Guernsey, Jersey, Europe, and Africa, without pay-
ment of duties;-to take away corruption of blood; and .
to alter the punishment of high treason in certain cases;
-for the more easy apprehension and trial of offenders
escaping from one part of the kingdom to another; and
"for providing for the peace of such parts of Ireland as
may be disturbed by seditious persons entering into un-
lawful combinations or conspiracies."-The Taxes for
1814 amounted to 70,240,313/.; of which the Property
Tax yielded 15,109,8031.:-Loans and Exchequer bills,
46,502,9487. :-received from Ireland, 6,304,2551. —
Total income, 123,047,5167.

On Feb. 17th, 1815, the Right Hon. Frederick Robinson
(now Lord Goderich) moved for a committee of the
Commons, on the subject of the corn laws; when nine
resolutions were agreed to, fixing an average price of
grain, at which free importation was to be permitted,
and below which it was to be prohibited: a Bill was
brought in, founded on these resolutions, which en-
countered, both in and out of the House, the most
violent opposition* :-it passed the Commons on March

On Monday, March 6th, the populace of the metropolis assembled before the dom of the House of Commons, crying out "No Corn Bill," and manifested their éspleasure towards the members who were favourable to it. The military, who were calin. out, succeeded in dislodging the people from Palace-yard; but they proceeded Lord Eldon's house, Bedford-square, where they tore up the iron railing, forced at entrance, and destroyed a great part of the furniture. Mr. Robinson, who had int duced the Bill, was the next object of their fury: his house in Burlington-street wo greatly damaged, his furniture thrown into the street, and many valuable pictares destroyed. Similar outrages were committed on the houses and property of Los Hardwicke and Darnley, and on those of Mr. Wellesley Pole, &c. These riots con tinued during the three following days, when the houses of many obnoxious among whom was Lord Castlereagh, were injured. No sooner were the people dispersed in one street, than they assembled in another. Mr. Robinson had another visit paid him; but a party of the military were stationed in the house, from whene

persors

When chosen.

10th; and the Lords on the 20th, by a majority of 128 to 21.-On the 20th, the Chancellor of the Exchequer obtained the consent of the Commons to the continuance of the Property Tax; and after much opposition, he consented to abandon it after the present year. It was passed in the House of Lords on the 11th.-Acts were passed,— to continue the restriction on the payment of cash by the Bank of England;-to extend the Trial by Jury to civil causes in Scotland;-for more effectually preventing the use of false and deficient measures ;-for the abolition of gaol fees in England;-for the amendment and preservation of highways; and the building and repair of bridges; for taking an account of the population of Ireland;-to enable the clergy to exchange their parsonage or glebe houses and lands for others of more value, or more conveniently situated ;--and, for regulating the practice of Apothecaries in England and Wales.-The Taxes for 1815 amounted to 71,153,142.; of which the Property Tax yielded 15,227,500l. :-the loans and Exchequer bills were 50,556,8591.:- Irish revenue, 10,089,7701.-Total income, 131,799,7717.

[ocr errors]

On March 14th, 1816, a message from the Prince Regent was presented to the Lords, relative to the proposed marriage of the Princess Charlotte, his daughter, with the Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg; and on the 26th, a Bill was brought into Parliament for his naturalization*.

On the 19th, an attempt to continue the Property Tax was defeated in the Commons by a majority of 37+.-Acts were passed,―for more effectually detaining

a man, who happened to be a mere passer by, was shot dead. On the 9th, the metropolis being completely surrounded by troops, the mischief was suppressed, and the rioters prevented from collecting. On this occasion, Lord Sidmouth, then Secretary of State for the Home Department, issued circulars, calling on the inhabitants of London, &c. to establish parochial meetings, and to appoint special constables, for the repression of the tumultuous disposition of the people.

* The Prince and Princess were married at Carlton House on May 2d, and addresses of congratulation to the Prince Regent, and to the young Prince and Princess, were presented by the two Houses of Parliament, the City of London, and many other bodies. On the 31st, Prince Leopold was promoted to the rank of General and Field Marshal.

+ This defeat was the cause of great rejoicings throughout the kingdom :-the tax ceased on April 5th.

When cha

the Emperor Napoleon in custody; and for regulating the intercourse with the Island of St. Helena, during the time of his imprisonment there;-to repeal two Acts passed in the reigns of Edward IV. and Richard III., which prohibited the importation of wrought goods ;—for continuing the restrictions on cash payments by the Bank of England;—" to authorize the transfer of stock to the commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt, upon which the dividends or interest shall remain unclaimed for ten years; "!!!—for establishing regulations in regard to aliens ;-to unite and consolidate in one fund all the public revenues of Great Britain and Ireland, and to provide for the application thereof for the general service;" for the more effectually securing the liberty of the subject*;"-to alter the duties on licences for the retailing of beer, ale, &c.;-for the more effectual punishment of persons riotously destroying or damaging buildings, engines, and machinery;—to abolish the punishment of the pillory ;-and to regulate the binding of parish apprentices.-The Taxes for 1816 amounted to 62,635,7117.;-Loans and Exchequer Bills,12,148,203/.; Irish revenue, 3,742,5687.-Total income, 80,526,4821. On the 28th of Jan. 1817, the Prince Regent, going in state to the House of Peers, to open the session of Parliament, was assailed by potatoes and other missiles. One of the rioters was secured: both Houses, as well as the city of London, &c. &c. addressed his Royal Highness, expressing their abhorrence of the outrage; and a proclamation was issued, offering a reward of 10007. for discovery of the individual who had committed it t. On Feb. 3d, a message from the Prince was delivered to the Commons, with certain papers in a green bag, con

It is rather singular that our legislators, being in a humour to enact a law of this nature, should, in a few short months afterwards, take it into their heads to pas a Bill for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act!

It was afterwards asserted, and generally believed, that the person who struck the Prince on the nose with the boiled potatoe, was one of the spies who were so diligently labouring in their vocation, at this period, among the people. The figure which these hired gentry cut in the law courts, some time afterwards, sufficienty warranted this opinion.

[ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors]

When chosen.

taining "information respecting combinations and meet-
ings among the people, which tended to endanger the
public tranquillity;" and recommending the House to
take the same into consideration. A similar communi-
cation having been made to the Lords, Committees of
Secresy were appointed by both Houses to investigate
the same.
On the 19th, the committees reported that
"it appeared that a traitorous conspiracy had been
formed in the metropolis, for overturning the established
government, by insurrection!" accordingly, a Bill was
brought into the Commons for the suspension of the
Habeas Corpus Act, which on the 28th was passed;
and on March 4th, the same received the Royal Assent
in the House of Lords.-On March 25th, another Bill
passed the Commons, by a large majority, "to prevent
seditious meetings t."-On May 20th, Sir Francis Bur-
dett moved a resolution in the Commons, for a reform in
the representation of the people in Parliament; but the
same was rejected by the large majority of 265 votes

The total failure of the Attorney General in the Court of King's Bench, three months afterwards, to prove one iota of this tremendous conspiracy, was rather a curious commentary on the sagacity of the Honourable and Right Honourable Secret Committees. The Despard plot had something of a military caste about it, and went down with the public very well: but what jury could swallow a tale about a poor apothecary attacking the Tower of London, his only arms a brass mortar and an old pistol (quere pestle ?) — his ammunition, six or eight ounces of powder in a hunting-horn, and a few bullets in the bottom of an old stocking;— and his only compatriots and followers a lame cobbler, and one or two miserable artisans, whom the barking of a dog would have terrified ?-But, as we shall by and by see, the next plot had more of matter in it; and, like Catiline's conspiracy, was far better concocted.

A meeting had taken place on March 10, at Manchester, for the purpose of petitioning the Prince Regent for a redress of grievances, and a reform of the Commons' House of Parliament; and, it being recommended to the poor creatures who composed it, to proceed in a large body to London, the same was foolishly attempted to be carried into effect by some hundreds, who provided themselves with blankets and bundles for the journey:-by the vigilance of the magistracy, however, aided by the military, their purpose was defeated, and several of their leaders were committed to prison. Many others were arrested at the same time in the manufacturing districts, under the Bill of Suspension just passed; several of whom were discharged from prison about twelve months afterwards, without any charge being brought against them! In Derby, however, the discontented were not quite so lucky: thirty-five persons were arraigned for high treason before a special commission; four of whom being convicted and sentenced to be hanged and beheaded, the others withdrew their plea of "Not Guilty," and gladly accepted the royal mercy which was held out to them.

When chee

against 77. On the 30th, the Rt. Hon. Charles Abbot resigned the Speaker's chair, on account of ill health; and being created Baron Colchester, took his seat in the Upper House.

The Rt. Hon. Charles Manners Sutton, June 2

[ocr errors]

Acts were passed, "for securing and detaining such persons as his Majesty shall suspect to be conspiring against his person and government ;"-to make perpetual certain parts of an Act of 36 Geo. III. for the safety and preservation of his Majesty's person and government against treasonable and seditious practices; and for the safety and preservation of the Prince Regent ;-to revive and make perpetual Act 37 Geo. III. for the prevention and punishment of attempts to seduce his Majesty's sea or land forces;-to abolish the punishment of whipping female offenders;-to regulate the costs of distresses levied for payment of small rents ;-to consolidate and amend the laws relating to spiritual persons holding farms; and for enforcing their residence on their benefices; and to encourage the establishment of banks for savings, in England.-The taxes for 1817 amounted to 52,372,4031.; excess of Exchequer Bills, &c. 17,325,0617.-Total income, 69,697,4647.

On Jan. 1818, a Bill for the repeal of the Habeas Corpus suspension Act, having passed both Houses, received the Royal Assent. On April 13th, in consequence of a message to both Houses by the Prince Regent, announcing the approaching marriages of the Duke of Clarence (his present Majesty) with the Princess of Saxe Meinengen; of the Duke of Cambridge with the Princess of Hesse; of the Duke of Kent with the Princess of Saxe Cobourg, &c. &c., ministers proposed a grant of 12,000l. a year to each, in addition to the incomes they then possessed: these grants, however, were reduced to 6000l. a year, each; and similar provision was made for the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland. On June 3d, Sir Francis Burdett, having presented ninety petitions to the Commons, praying for

[ocr errors]
« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »