Hansard

Commons Chamber

Volume 27: debated on Tuesday 16 November 1813

Download text
Back to top
The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

House Of Commons

Friday, Nov. 16, 1813.

Galway Right Of Election—Petition Of Mr Joyce, &C

Mr. Serjeant Onslow presented a Petition of John Joyce, of Galway, banker and freeholder, John French, Madden, of Galway, freeholder, John Moore, of Galway, merchant, freeman, and freeholder, Thomas Blakeny, of Galway, freeman, on behalf of themselves and others, being persons entitled to vote in the election of a member to serve in parliament for the said town and county of the said town, setting forth,

"That, on the 15th day of June last, the select committee appointed to try and determine the merits of the Petition of Valentine Blake, of Menlo, in the county of the town of Galway, esq. and of the Petition of John Joyce, Patrick M. Lynch, John Lynch, Alexander Nicholas Browne, James Finn, and John French Madden, complaining of an undue election and return for the said town, reported to the House, that it appeared to the Committee, that the merits of the Petitions did in part depend upon the right of election, and therefore the committee required the counsel for the several parties to deliver to the clerk of the committee statements in writing of the right of election for which they respectively contended; and that, in consequence thereof, the counsel for the petitioner Valentine Blake, esq. and also for the several other petitioners, delivered in a statement as follows: 'That the right of election in and for the town and county of the town of Galway is in the freeholders of the said town and county of the town of Galway, and in the free burgesses and freemen thereof, such freemen having been resident in the said town and county of the town, or the liberties thereof, at the time of their election to their freedom, and also at the time of their voting;' and that the counsel for the sitting member, the hon. Frederick Ponsonby, delivered in a statement as follows: 'That the right of election in and for the town and county of the town of Galway, is in the freeholders of the said

town and county of the town of Galway, and in the freemen of the corporation of the said town;' and that, upon the statement delivered in by the counsel for the said several petitioners, the committee had determined that the right of election, as set forth in the said statement, is not the right of election for the town and county of the town of Galway; and that, upon the statement delivered in by the counsel for the sitting member, the committee had determined that the right of election, as set forth in the said statement, is the right of election for the said town and county of the town of Galway; and that the petitioners are advised that the right of election, so determined by the said select committee, is not the right of election for the said borough; and that the petitioners are prepared to prove that no person is entitled to vote in the election of a member to serve in parliament for the said town of Galway, as a free burgess or freeman thereof, who was not bona fide a resident in the said town and county of the town, or the liberties thereof, at the time of their election to their freedom of the said town; and that the right of election of a member to serve in parliament in and for the said town of Galway is in the freeholders of the said town and county of the town of Galway, and in the free burgesses and freemen thereof, such freemen having been resident in the said town and county of the town, or liberties thereof, at the time of their election to their freedom; and that the petitioners, therefore, are not satisfied with the resolution of the said select committee, and are desirous of having the benefit of the several statutes in that case made and provided, for the purpose of preventing the judgment of the said select committee from becoming final and conclusive against the interests of the petitioners, which will be materially affected thereby, inasmuch as persons having no right to become freemen of the said town of Galway, or to vote in the election of a member to serve in parliament for the said town of Galway and county of the said town, will, under the resolution of the said select committee, claim to have a right to vote in such election, to the great prejudice of the freeholders of the county of the said town, and of the free burgesses and freemen legally elected, and having a right to vote in such election; and praying the House, that they may be admitted as parties, according to the form of the statutes in such

case made and provided, to oppose the right of election, in favour of which the said select committee have so reported, and that the petitioners may have such other relief in the premises as to the House shall seem meet, and the justice and nature of the case may require.

Ordered, That the said Petition be taken into consideration upon Tuesday the 15th day of February next; at three o'clock in the afternoon; and, That Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant or warrants for such person, papers, and records, as shall be thought, necessary by the several parties, on the hearing of the matter of the said Petition.

Insolvent Debtors Bill

Mr. Lockhart

presented a Petition from certain insolvent debtors in the King's-bench, complaining of the delay which had taken place in carrying into effect the Insolvent Act of last session, and in consequence of which delay they had sustained many hardships. The hon. member proceeded to observe, that every motive which had induced the legislature last session to pass the Act in question ought now to induce them to take its deficiencies into immediate consideration. Though he (Mr. Lockhart) was a determined enemy to all Insolvent Acts in their principle, as tending to hold out temptations to practise a variety of frauds which were, indeed, the disgrace of the country; yet, as they had passed an Act for the relief of debtors, they certainly ought to take the necessary steps for rendering that Act as efficient as possible. For that reason, and also because the delays already experienced, as well those which must inevitably attend upon executing the provisions of the Act in question, from the numerous individuals who would claim under it, were really injurious to those persons whose relief the legislature contemplated, he should, unless he saw a disposition to do it in another place, propose on an early day to delegate to the courts of quarter sessions a concurrent jurisdiction for hearing and discharging insolvent cases, leaving the disposal of the debtors' property to the commissioner appointed under the Act.—The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table.

Report Form The Committee Of Supply

Mr. Lushington reported from the committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider further

of the supply granted to his Majesty, the Resolutions which they had directed him to report to the House; and the same were read, and agreed to by the House, and are as follow;

  • 1. That a sum, not exceeding 40,021l. 14s., be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum, which has been issued by his Majesty's orders, pursuant to Addresses of this House, and which has not been made good by parliament.
  • 2. That a sum, not exceeding 24,315l. 19s. 0½d., be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum, which has been issued at the receipt of the Exchequer, out of his Majesty's Civil List revenues, to several persons for public services, not being part of the ordinary expenditure of the Civil List, and which have not been replaced by parliament.
  • 3. That a sum, not exceeding 3,225l. 18s., be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum, which has been issued at the receipt of the Exchequer out of his Majesty's Civil List revenues, for defraying the charges heretofore paid out of the proceeds of old naval stores.
  • 4. That a sum, not exceeding 5,454l. 9s. 5d., be granted to his Majesty, to make good the like sum, which has been applied out of his Majesty's Civil List revenues for parliamentary services and services of a public description, and that the said sum be issued and paid, without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 5. That a sum, not exceeding 10,000l. be granted to his Majesty, to be advanced to the Bank of Scotland, under the conditions and restrictions mentioned in an Act of the last session of parliament, for further improving the communication between the county of Edinburgh and the county of Fife, by the ferries cross the Frith of Forth, between Leith and Newhaven, in the county of Edinburgh, and Kinghorne and Bruntisland, in the county of Fife, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 6. That a sum, not exceeding 119, 500l., be granted to his Majesty, for the relief of the suffering clergy and laity of France, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 7. That a sum, not exceeding 8000l. be granted to his Majesty, for the relief Saint Domingo sufferers, for the year, 1814, and that the said sum be issued, and paid without any fee or deduction.
  • 8. That a sum, not exceeding 3,500l., be granted to his Majesty, for the relief of Dutch emigrants, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 9. That a sum, not exceeding 11,5000l., be granted to his Majesty, for the relief of Toolonese and Corsican emigrants, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 10. That a sum, not exceeding 19,000l., be granted to his Majesty, for the relief of American loyalists, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 11. That a sum, not exceeding 4,000l., be granted to his Majesty, to pay bills drawn from abroad on account of certain French and Corsican emigrants, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 12. That a sum not exceeding 3,250l., be granted to his Majesty, for the relief of the French emigrants resident in the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, for the year 1814, and that the said sum be issued and paid without any fee or other deduction whatsoever.
  • 13. That a sum, not exceeding five millions be granted to his Majesty for paying off and discharging the Exchequer bills made out by virtue of an Act of the 53d year of his present Majesty, for raising the sum of five millions by Exchequer bills, for the service of Great Britain, for the year 1813, outstanding and unprovided for.

    • Report From The Committee Of Ways And Means

    Mr. Lushington reported from the committee of the whole House, to whom it was referred to consider further of Ways and Means for raising the Supply granted to his Majesty; the Resolutions which they had directed him to report to the House; and the same were read, and agreed to by the House, and are as follow:

  • 1. That, towards raising the Supply granted to his Majesty, the sum of twenty two millions be raised by annuities.
  • 2. That every contributor to the said sum of twenty-two millions shall, for every 100l. contributed and paid, be entitled to the principal sum of 110l. in annuities, after the rate of 3l. per cent., to commence from the 10th day of October 1813, and to be added to, and made one joint stock with, certain annuities after the rate of 3l. per cent., which were reduced from 4l. to 3l. per cent. by an Act made mine 23d year of the reign of his late Majesty, and to be payable and transferable at the Bank of England at the same time, and in the same manner, and subject to the like redemption, as the said 3l. per cent. Reduced Annuities:

    • That every such contributor shall also be entitled to the further principal sum of 67 l. in annuities, after the rate of 3 l. per cent, to commence from the 5th day of July 1813, and to be added to, and made one joint stock with, the 3 l. per cent. annuities consolidated by the Acts of the 25th, 28th, 29th, 32d, and 33d years of his late majesty king George the second, and by several subsequent Acts, and to be payable and transferable at the Bank of England at the same time and in the same manner, and subject to the like redemption, as the said 3 l. per cent. Consolidated Annuities:

    That the said several annuities, so to be payable as aforesaid, shall be charged or chargeable upon, and payable, out of, the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain, or any other duties and revenues which shall be appropriated for that purpose by any Act or Acts of this present session of parliament:

    That every contributor shall, on or before the 19th day of November, make a deposit of 10 l. per cent. on such sum as he or she shall choose to subscribe towards raising the said sum of twenty-two millions with the chief cashier or cashiers of the governor and company of the Bank of England, as a security for making the future payments on or before the days or times hereinafter mentioned;—10 l. per cent. on or before the 10th day of December next; 20 l. per cent. on or before the 14th day of January 1814; 20 l. per cent. on or before the 11th day of February next; 10 l. per cent. on or before the 18th day of March next; 20 l. per cent. on or before the 15th day of April next; and 10 l. per cent on or before the 6th day of May next:

    That every contributor who shall pay in the whole of his or her contribution money towards the said sum of twenty-two millions at any time on or before the 14th day of April 1814, shall be allowed an interest, by way of discount, after the rate of 5 l. per cent. per annum, on the

    sums so advanced for completing his or her contribution respectively, to be computed from the day of completing the same to the 6th day of May 1814:

    That every such contributor shall be at liberty to deliver in to the chief cashier or cashiers of the governor and company of the Bank of England any Exchequer bill or bills bearing date between the 1st day of December 1812 and the 12th day of November 1813, both inclusive, so as the principal sums contained in such bill or bills do not exceed one moiety of the amount of the payment to be made by such contributor; and such bill or bills shall be received at the rate of 100 l. 5 s. for each 100 l. principal money contained in such bill or bills, together with the interest due thereon, computed to and for the day on which the same shall be delivered in, after deducting the duties chargeable thereon under an Act of the 46th year of his present Majesty, for granting duties on profits arising from property, professions, trades, and offices; and such Exchequer bill or bills shall be received by the said cashier or cashiers at the rate aforesaid, and shall, together with the interest thereon, be deemed and taken in part payment of any such contribution as aforesaid:

    That all the monies so to be received by the said cashier or cashiers of the said governor and company of the Bank of England shall be paid into the receipt of the Exchequer, to be applied, from time to time, to such services as shall have been voted by this House in this session of parliament.

    3. That towards making good the supply granted to his Majesty, there be issued and applied, out of any of the aids or supplies granted for the service of the year 1812 and the year 1813 respectively, such sum or sums of money, not exceeding 11 millions, as the Exchequer bills which shall be delivered into the Bank of England as part of the loan of 22 millions, and which was charged on the said aids or supplies respectively, shall amount unto.

    4. That, towards raising the supply granted to his Majesty, the sum of 22,257,400 l., 3 l. per cent. consolidated annuities, standing in the names of the commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt, shall, from and after the 5th day of January 1814, and the sum of 36,542,000 l. 3 l. per cent. reduced annuities, standing in the names of the said commissioners,

    shall, from and after the 5th day of April 1814, be cancelled from those respective days, and the interest which would have been payable thereon shall cease to be issued from the receipt of the Exchequer, or to be charged upon the Consolidated Fund; and the duties and revenues which would have been applicable thereto, shall be deemed part of the said Consolidated Fund, for the purpose of defraying the charge occasioned by the addition made, or to be made, to the public funded debt of Great Britain in the present session of parliament.

    Ordered, That Bills be brought in upon the said Resolutions; and that Mr. Lushington, Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Brogden, Mr. Berkeley Paget, Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Wharton, and Mr. Arbuthnot, do prepare and bring them in.