House of Commons
Wednesday, July 18 1804
Minutes
On the motion of Sir J. Anderson, the house took into consideration the amendments made by the Lords in the Surrey Paving and Lighting bill, and agreed to the same.—The report of the Volunteer Act Amendment bill was brought up, agreed to, and the bill was read a 3d time and passed.—The Loyalty Loan bill, and the Consolidated Fund bill, were read a 3d time and passed.—On the motion of Lord Marsham, Cyprian Whillock, who had been first in custody of the serjeant at arms, and was afterwards, by order of the house, a prisoner in Newgate for prevarication before the Middlesex election committee, was brought to the bar in order to his being discharged. The Speaker reprimanded him in nearly the following words:—"Cyprian Whillock, a select committee of this house, appointed to try and determine the merits of the Middlesex election, has reported, that you, being called as a witness before the said committee, were guilty of gross prevarication; for which offence they committed you to the custody of the serjeant at arms, and this house did farther commit you to his Majesty's goal of Newgate. The matter under examination by the committee, when you were called upon to give evidence, was the charge of treating; a practice which, according to the language of the law, is 'in violation of the freedom due to the election of the representatives for the Commons, to the great scandal of the kingdom, dishonourable and destructive to the constitution of parliaments. Your occupation in life, and your residence at the time of the election, qualified you to have given important testimony upon this charge; the points to which you were interrogated were such as must have fallen within your own knowledge; and yet, in so plain a matter, regardless of the reverence due to the authority of this house, and regardless also of the solemnity of the oath which you had taken, you appear to have incurred the heavy guilt of wilfully prevaricating before God and your country. For this your offence you have most justly suffered disgrace and imprisonment: but this house, considering the penitence you have since expressed, and hoping also, that the example of your punishment may sufficiently ensure a better execution of the writ issued for a new election, has ordered that you be now discharged; and you are discharged accordingly, paying your fees."—The prisoner was then taken from the bar, and, on the motion of Lord Marsham, the reprimand was ordered to be entered on the Journals.
Scarcity of Timber
gave notice, that early in the next session of parliament it was his intention to call the attention of the house to the subject of inclosures, in order that some provision might in future be made for causing trees to be planted in lands hereafter to be inclosed. There was not a tree now to be found in any inclosed lands; and the scarcity of timber was so great, that farmers, in many places, could not get enough for their private use. Even in a national point of view, this was a subject of great importance, and well worthy the consideration of parliament. He hoped the right hon. gent. Who was now minister, would turn his thoughts to it during the ensuing recess, and that he would renew the commission which had been appointed some years ago for examining into the state of his Majesty's forests; or carry into effect some plan similar to what had been intended by the appointment of that commission. Unless some plan of this kind, and that upon a very large scale, was adopted, we should be obliged to go to foreign countries for supplies of timber.