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led to that ftate which juftified the painful facrifices which his Majelty's Minifters had been induced to make.”

Mr. Grey thought the terms of the peace were fuch as, under all the circumflances, fhould be accepted.

Mr. W. Smith, Mr. Hobhouse, and Mr. Bouverie, were willing to vote for the peace, but objected to the terms of the amendment.

The question was then put on Mr. Windham's motion for an AddreisAyes, 20; Noes, 276.

Mr. Sheridan's amendment, and another proposed by Mr. Bouverie, were then put, and negatived; and the amended Addrefs of Lord Hawkesbury put and carried.

MONDAY, MAY 17.

The Poft Office Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

together with the additional fum of 200,000l. per annum, as well as one per cent, on the capital to be provided tor in the prefent year, and of any other fums which would, by virtue of the faid Acts, become applicable to the discharge of fuch capital.

24, That the additional fum of 200,000l. be granted to his Majefty from and after. the 5th of January 1203, to be vested in the Commillioners appointed under the faid Act of the 26th of the reign of his prefent Majesty.

3d, That it is expedient to provide, that the amount of the annual fums applicable, under the Ads 26th and 32d of the King, to the reduction of the national debt, as the faid fums flood on aft July 1802, fhould be confolidated into one finking fund, with the additional fum, of 200,000l. per annum, and be conti

The Pot Horfe Farming Bill was read nually applied at compound intereft, to a third time, and paffed.

THE SINKING FUND.

The Houle refolved into a Committee to confider of the two Sinking Funds.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer understood that the Gentlemen who meant to discuss this subject intended to postpone, their obfervations until the Bill fhould, be brought in. He therefore thought it unneceffary to take up any of the time of the House at prefent. He had already. flated, that the refolutions were calculated to give an effect to a meature which had already received the approbation of the House. If the Houfe thould permit him to bring in the Bill, he fhould move that it be entitled, A Bill to amend and render more effectual the two Acts relative to the Sinking Funds. In the mean time he would move the following Refolutions :

ift, That the amount of the annual fums applicable, under the Acts 26th and 2d of the King, to the reduction of the national debt, as the faid fums (tood on the 1st July 1802, if confolidated into one finking fund, with the additional fum of 200,000l. per annum, and continually applied at compound interest, but without the addition of any fums arifing from annuities which may expire, and from fav ings of intereft on annuities which may be reduced, would redeem the whole of the exifting capital of the national debt, including the capital to arife from the Joan of the prefent year, within forty-five years from the prefent time, and in a fhorter period than the whole of the faid capital would be redeemed by the feparate application of the laid fums refpectively,

the redemption of the whole of the exifting capital of the national debt, including the capital to arife from the loan of the prefent year.

4th, That any fum which may arise from annuities which may expire, or from favings of intereft on annuities which may be reduced, fhall be appli cable to the public fervice, in fuch manner as Parliament fhall direct.

After fome converfation between Mr. Tierney, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Vanfittart, &c. the Refolutions were agreed to, and the Report of the Committee ordered to be received to-morrow.

TUESDAY, MAY 18. The Maine Mutiny Bill was read a third time, and paffed.

The Houfe in a Committee on the Bill relating to Auctions,

Mr. Vanittart propofed refolutions to the following purport: That it is expedient to exempt goods imported, and intended for fale by public auction, from the duties, it fuch goods are intended to be exported; alfo to exempt goods which may be bought in by the perions putting them up for fale: and allo a Refolution for exempting foap and starch imported and ufed in woollen and other manufacto ries from the duties. The Refolutions were agreed to, and the Report ordered to be received to-morrow,

The Houfe went through a Commit. tee on the Cotton Apprentice Bill. Pre vious to the Speaker leaving the Chair,

Lord Belgrave made fome objections to the Houfe going into, the Committee, as he wished the provisions of the Bill to be extended.

In the Committee, Sir R. Peele urged' the arguments which he had used on the occafion of bringing in the Bill in fupport of his measure.

Mr. Shaw Le Fevre fuggefted the propriety of deferring the further confideration, in order to give an opportunity to amend the Bill, fo as to make it palatable to all parties.

The claufes were then agreed to.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19.

The Houfe in a Committee directed the Chairman to move for leave to bring in a Bill to permit Perfons to fifh in the Pacific Ocean, without a Licence from the East India Company, &c.

CORONER'S BILL.

THE NAVY.

· The House resolved into a Committee of Supply, in which the following fums were voted. viz.

70,2011. for the Ordinaries of the Navy, for one lunar month, from the 21st of May.

71,8781. for the Extraordinaries. 109,000l. for the Tranfport Service," and maintaining Prifoners of War. 3000l. for Sick Prifoners of War.

THURSDAY, MAY 20.

The English Militia Bill was read a third time, and ordered to the Lords.

Leave was given to bring in a Bill to oblige Aliens to give in their names to the proper officer where they landed, to ftate the object which they had in view,' and to give in the place of their refidence to the Magiftrates, that the fame might be returned to Government.

Mr. C. Dundas moved, that it be an instruction to the Committee on the Coroner's Bill to make provifion for fixing the refidence of Coroners. This motion occafioned fome converfation, but it was ultimately withdrawn. The House then went into the Com- Trials of Controverted Elections, Mr. mittee.

Admiral Berkeley was very willing to agree to the allowance of ninepence a mile additional to the Coroners, provided it was given at the option, and under the direction of the Magiftrates at the quar ter feffions. This meafure feemed to him to have the effect of fanctioning the charge of 18. 6d. a mile, made by inn keepers for pofting, which, fince the fall of hay and eats, was certainly far too much.

Mr. Wigly faid, that the whole allow ance to the Coroners after this addition would only be 1s. 6d. a mile for the jour ney, both going and returning. It might, therefore, be confidered as gd. the mile only.

The Committee divided on this and other claules, in confequence of which Atrangers were, for a confiderable time, excluded. The refult was, the Bill was ordered to be re committed.

AUCTION ACT.

The Report of the Committee on the Auction Duty A&t was brought up, and taken into confideration.

Mr. Dent thought that fomething fhould be done to prevent the fraudulent practices of perfons who fet up tham auctions, and recommended the impoting a higher duty for that purpose.

Mr. Vanfittart admitted that the propofition was worthy of confideration, and might be made the subject of another

Bill.

The Report was then agreed to, and a Bill conformable to the Refolution ordered to be brought in.

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The House having resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill for regulating the

Banks propofed an amendment, for the purpose of abrogating the appointment of nominees, which, he obferved, was an odious office, and one which rendered it' difficult for the nominee to fteer an even' courfe between friendship for the indivi dual and public juftice.

A

very long converfation from thence enfued, in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Harrifon, Mr. Bragge, Mr. Simeon, Mr. Lee, and Sir James Sinclair, expreffed their fentiments for and against the claufe; at length the Houfe adjourned without coming to any decision, as there were not forty Members prefent.

FRIDAY, MAY 21. LORDS' ACT.

Mr. Wynne moved the Order of the Day, that the Houle fhould refolve itself into a Committee for the further confideration of the Bill for amending the Lords' A&t.

Mr. Nicholl argued against the commitment of the Bill on the principle. He was glad that the Gentleman had omitted the exemption of property of Members of Parliament from the operation of the Bill, for it would be an odious privilege, and difgraceful to Parliament if it paffed. He concluded with moving, by way of amendment, that instead of being taken into confideration now, the Bill be taken into confideration this day

three months.

Mr. Burton wifhed the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Wynne) to adopt a middle course, which would be likely to unite all opinions

opinions in favour of the Bill. He wifhed the Houfe to go into the Committee, and to adopt thofe clauses which muft, he was fure, be deemed unexceptionable, and to referve the parts that were objected to till another feffion; now it could be ob. tained only at the affizes. Another claufe would go to- remove what was a ground of very fevere complaint against the Lords' A&t. At prefent, if a debtor was brought up in order to affign his lands, and refused to affign, he was liable to transportation. He would now propofe, that in fuch a cafe the Officer of the Court fhould make the affignment. The third claufe would be to remedy a deficiency in the form of the affignment by schedule; at prefent the creditor affigned only what was comprised in the schedule, and the creditor could not take the benefit of thofe omitted.

Mr. Harrison faid, he abominated the Bill as containing rath and inconfiderate clauses.

Mr. Wigly was proceeding to state fome objections, when the Speaker interfered.

The report was then taken into confideration, and the Bill ordered to be recommitted on Tuesday next.

MONDAY, MAY 24. The Auction Exemption Duty Bill was read a firit time,

BULL-BAITING AND BULL-RUNNING.

The order of the day for the fecond reading of the Bill for abolishing the practice of Bull-baiting and Bull-running being read,

Mr. Dent obferved, that he should referve himself to reply to the arguments which might be urged againit the Bill.

Sir Richard Hill rofe in order to give his decided fuppert to the meafure, and which he trusted would meet the unanimous approbation of the House, who were called upon to be the advocates of two beings who were denied the ule of fpeech, and confequently could not speak for themlelves. The Bill went to abolith a practice which the common fenfe, the dignity, the decorum, and the piety, of the Houle, would concur in condemning. He could itate a few facts, with relpect to this heathenish amutement, which would tend to let it in its true light. The Hon. Baronet then read an extract from the Bury paper, which itated, that a bull, which in the morning was tame and gentle, had been fattened to a ring, and gored till it became furious; it was then baited by dogs and more bru

VOL, XLII, JULY 1892.

tal men, to the great danger of the inha bitants of that place; after being baited fome time it got loofe, but was fecured, and again fastened with ropes, and his hoofs cut off. "Good God !" faid the Hon. Baronet, “what an age we live in, when a poor dumb animal, given by the Almighty for the fupport and fuccour of man, and to whom he ought to be tender and careful, is tortured by those who are worfe than favages." He then read an abftract from a Lancashire paper, to the fame effect, in which a poor man was gored to death, and left a wife and large family totally deftitute. The Hon. Bart. read feveral other extracts, and quoted Sir Matthew Hale's fentiments on mercy, and obferved that it was worth the atten tion of perfons to regard the faying of the wifelt man whom Providence had fuf fered to live-he meant King Solomon. That wife man had faid, "The merci. ful man fheweth mercy to his bealt, but the mercy of the wicked man is cruelty." This fentiment had never been called in queftion in this country, whatever it might have been in a neighbouring na

tion.

Mr. Windham blamed the habit which had lately very much grown up, of making trifles the objects of legislative pro ceedings. The Hon. Baronet had talked of furious dogs, mad bulls, raw flesh, and fractured bones. This was a way of feizing the Houfe by furprife, and getting the Bill carried by acclamation. Let the Hon. Gentleman, however, put other cruelties under a glafs of an equal magnifying power, and if their horror did not ceale, they would at least find that thofe other cruelties did not bear an inferior proportion to this, of which they complained. What did the Houle think of horse racing and hunting? Had they no feeling for the animals which were the objects of thefe amulements? Was there nothing like cruelty in experiments of anatomilts on living animals? There had been many attempts to reform the British Conftitution, and now, the way was to reform the manners of the people. The progrefs of methodifm had already a great effect in altering the English character. The Methodists generally fucceed beft in making converts among the labouring poor. Their tools are hard, and they work well upon a rough foil. The Jacobins and the Methodists were both at work at the fame time, and in the fame way, to clear and prepare this foil, and to render it fruitful for their pur

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poles in due time.

The Jacobin fays, Let the labourer read."" O, yes," fays the Methodist, by all means let him read; he may read your Republican Papers first, if he will confent to look into my Religions Tracts afterwards." Or the Jacobin will very willingly return the compliment, and fay," Poor fellow, let him read your pious ftories first, he will liften to my political declamations by-and bye." The Houfe was well acquainted with the ferocity of the Jacobins; but he was pretty confident no bull-baiters, cock-fighters, or cudgelplayers, were to be found in the Correfponding Society. They call out against all sports of this kind; not on account of their barbarity, but because they do not tend to produce in the country that kind of character they want. [Here Mr. Windham read fome paffages of the Introduction to Bloomfield's Farmer's Boy, a poem, as he obferved, of great merit, written by a journeyman fhoemaker.] The Editor of this poem, Mr. Capel Loft, had written the introduction, and what he there ftated proved that the change of character among the lower orders, to which he had before alluded, had already made confiderable progrefs. This young shoemaker used to read newfpapers and other publications to his fellow-workmen, while they continued their labour. He next went to a de bating fociety; and in mentioning this circumftance the Editor takes occafion to exprefs his regret that debating focieties had, from political motives, been put down. All this tended to fhew what it was wished to fubftitute for the ordinary fparts of the common people. He received no pleasure from bull-baiting, no more than he did frem racing, fhooting, or hunting. He was inclined to chuck every cruelty to brutes, but he never would pretend on that account that he had more humanity than those who were fond of fuch sports. He believed that if he could enter as eagerly into the spirit of the contest as others did, he should run after them alfe. Cruelty be knew was not the object of these sports. They did not make men cruel. He could no pore give an account of the principle on which tome men became enamoured of hunting than that on which others were attached to bull-baiting. He could only fay, that both found their pleasure in thefe iports, and he did not see why contemplating the courage of the bull dog was not as rational a fource of amufemept as admiting the fagacity of

hound, or the quick eye of the hawk. Gentlemen were often fond of fhooting, and he fuppofed there was no cruelty in that fport. None but perfons of the most delicate fenfibility practised that mode of killing animals. Bull baiting was once the amusement of the great, and fair ladies used to witness the fpectacle. Now, however, it had defcended to the lower orders, and was therefore a very bad thing. An Hon. Member had shewn himself extremely active in remedying diftant abuses, while he neglected thole which were near him. Like the butcher fecking his knife while it was between his teeth, he roamed about in queft of reforms; he fell upon the Staffordshire bull baiters, but paid no attention to all the horse-racing of Yorkshire. If the prefent Bill fhould pafs, he would move for leave to bring in one to do away hunting, fhooting, and all the cruel amuse ments of the higher orders.

Mr. Courtney felt himfelf compelled to difagree with his Hon. Friend, who fpcke laft, in one thing. He could not, like him, regard this as a fubje&t too trifling for difcuffion. Certainly if every amiable virtue of the people, if all thofe noble feelings which were the fupport of the Church and the State had their origin in bull baiting, the Houfe could not be occupied by the confideration of a more important question. The Hon. Gentleman had clearly fhewn, that Jacobinism and Methodifin were both leagued to put down bull baiting; that reform had been prevented, and the Conftitution preferved by bull-baiting; and that the best foldiers were found in thofe quarters where this practice most prevailed. With all thefe recommendations to the amufement, could the Houfe hesitate a moment in throwing out the Bill. The Hon. Gentleman had alfo made it perfectly plain that the bull is pleafed in being baited; but it was to be regretted, that in that notion he had not his ufual merit of originality. He borrowed his argument from Locke's principle of the affociation of ideas. Though the bull was at first in torture, he affeci. ates pleafurable ideas with the recollection of the conteft, and is quite happy on the second baiting. In the fame manner bears are taught to dance by being placed on hot iron plates, while their inftructur bears a drum or plays upon a fiddle. When they have been fufficiently practifed in this amusement, they always get up upon hearing the found of a drum, without any affiftance from the burning plates. Who will fay that this is not

just

just fuch another inftance of affociation. If this abominable Bill fhould, in fpite of all oppofition, pafs, he hoped, at least, a elaufe would be introduced, fetting apart fome facred spot in Norfolk or Buckinghamshire for perpetuating a practice fo beneficial, and which young #tudents might attend as a lyceum. Bull-baiting was anciently a royal sport, and fo was lion-baiting. James 1. baited a lion with three bull-dogs in the Tower. This lion baiting was fo much of a royal fport, that, perhaps, no King ever difliked it, except Henry VII. He indeed feemed to confider that there was fomething like Jacobinifm in the amufement, and could not brook that a dirty bull-dog fhould attack the king of beatts. There was another very important circumftance which ought not to be overJooked. These bull-dogs were diftinguifhed by a gruff furly aspect, expreflive of the very character of John Bull himfelf. What would become of us were the breed to be loft.

si Butchers would weep who never weeped before."

He could not withhold his fupport from a practice which was the chief fupport of our glorious Conftitution: he mult there fore oppofe the Bill.

Colonel Grovenor thought the House ought not to interfere in the amufements of the common people: the higher orders had their Billington, and the lower might

be allowed to have their Bull.

Mr. Sheridan repeated a number of inftances in which the favage barbarity of men was difplayed in the methods which the worrying of bulls was taught and encouraged in dogs. Amongst others, be mentioned the circumftance in which the mafter fet the bitch to pin a bull, and in order to prove its bloed and pertinacity cut the bitch's head off, together with fome of the other limbs, and afterwards fold the puppies at four guineas a piece. He asked what fort of feeling or gratitude did a proceeding of this kind teach to the young and tender mind? He was determined to vote in favour of the Bill.

The Houfe then divided-Ayes, 513 Noes, 64; Majority, 13. Confequently

the Bill was loft.

TUESDAY, MAY 25.

Mr. Dent gave notice, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the prefent Laws relative to Bull-baiting. (A loud laugh.)

The House refolved into a Committee on the Controverted Election Bill.

Mr. Banks propofed a claufe for preventing the appointment of Nominees to the Committee for trying Disputed Elections.

Mr. Taylor oppofed the bringing up of the claufe.

The gallery was cleared, but no divifron took place upon the clause.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26.

VOLUNTEER CORPS.

The Houfe having resolved itself into a Committee on the Volunteer Corps Bill, Mr. Alexander in the Chair,

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The Secretary at War then moved the regulations enabling his Majesty to accept, at discretion, the fervices of Volunteer Corps; which, after fome converfation between the Secretary at War, Mr. Shaw Lefevre, Sir Edward Knatchbull, &c. was agreed to, and the report ordered to be received to-morrow.

The National Debt Redemption Bill was read a first time.

THURSDAY, MAY 27.

Mr. Simeon faid, that in confequence of the great preffure of public bufinefs, and the advanced period of the Seffion, he fhould let the order on the further proceedings of the Overfeers' Bill drop till

next Selfion.

Mr. Canning moved, "That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, requesting that he be graciously pleated not to authorife any new grants or fales in the island of Trinidad, except under the reftriction, that fuch tales or grants thould be forfeited, if any Negroes thould be imported from Africa to clear or cal tivate the fame. And that it was advife. able not to permit any fale or grant, untif time was given to Parliament to make fuch provifion as was compatible with the Majelty be graciously pleased to give direction that no plan or regulation fhall be adopted by his Majefty's Government, for promoting the cultivation of Trini dad, that was in the least likely to inter

refolutions of the Houfe. And that his

fere with the refolution of the Houfe for the Abolition of the Slave Trade."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, after fome observations, moved the previous question, which was put, and carried

without a divifion.

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