which the honourable gentleman (Mr. Parnell) ought to have taken in this instance. He thought the honourable baronet (Sir J. Newport) was too ready to consider every opinion delivered in debate as solemn pledges, which no He had been always times or circumstances could remove. friendly to a commutation for tithes, if it were practicable; but the great difficulty was to find any substitution for it, which would not be felt more heavily. Any arrangement must go on the principle, that the clergy have an absolute estate equal to 1-10th of the growing tillage of the country. He found very great difficulties in suggesting any substitute, notwithstanding all the pains he had taken on the subject. He would, however, be happy to confer with any one on the business, and would be glad to find any feasible plan proposed.

Mr. Barham said, he has often heard the cry, that the Church was in danger; but it was not from sectaries, Catholics, or Dissenters of any description. The dangers arose chiefly from the misconduct of its own members. For this reason he had always regretted tithes had ever existed, as they had every where created a discontent which alienated the minds of the people from the religion they were bred in. He should, therefore, support the motion, because he thought it would tend to do away tithes.

Mr. Fitzgerald (Knight of Kerry) said, there were some who doubted whether they should meddle at all with tithes, as being church-property; others doubted whether they could legislate respecting them with any effect; but he was sure something ought to be done in regard to them, in order to relieve the grievous oppression which they were the means of inflicting on the Irish peasantry. Mr. Pitt had given it as his decided opinion, that it was a subject of vital interest and importance, and well deserved the serious atten tion of the House. His honourable friend had therefore done no more than his duty in bringing forward his present proposition; and he would have been criminal if he had neglected to do so, and to call on Parliament to take the subject into consideration early in the next Session.

Mr. J. Smith said, he had been well informed that tithes were a great grievance in Ireland, from the oppresive mode in which they were collected. He was not an enemy to tithes, but should be glad to see the system changed, and should therefore support the motion.

Mr. Wilberforce said, from what he had heard, he be

lieved the peasantry in many parts of Ireland were cruelly oppressed by the collection of tithes ; and he was therefore in favour of any inquiry that might tend to ameliorate the situation of the lower orders of the people. He should, therefore, vote for the motion.

Mr. Parnell shortly replied, when a division took placeFor the Motion,

Against it,

Majority

36

39

3

Mr. Whitbread postponed his Motion on the Toleration Act, which stood for Wednesday, to Wednesday se'nnight. Adjourned.

. HOUSE OF LORDS.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24,

In the Committee of Privileges, on the claims of the Bishops of Meath and Kildare, to precedence, the further consideration was postponed till to-morrow.

In the Appeal "Lord Waterpark v. Austin," the Decree of the Court of Chancery in Ireland was affirmed.

APPEALS.

Lord Redesdale called the attention of the House to the great grievance arising from the number of Appeals before the House, and the delay in deciding upon them. He thought it of the greatest importance that some measure should be adopted even in the present session, late as the period was, in order that next session a commencement might be made in a more expeditious mode of getting through the appeals. To do this, he thought it would be absolutely necessary to provide assistance to the Lord Chancellor in the Court of Chancery, in order that that uoble and learned lord might be enabled to devote more time to the hearing of appeals in that House.

The Lord Chancellor stated the great evils that arose from the delay in the judicial business of the House, and observed, that he had forborne from pressing the subject whilst under consideration in a Committee of the other VOL. III.-1812.

3 F

House. The Report of that Committee had, however, now been made, and he must observe, that it was quite impossible for the House to get through its judicial business without some other arrangement was resorted to, it being impossible for the Chancellor to devote a sufficient portion of time to the hearing of appeals, unless assistance was given to him in the Court of Chancery.

Lord Ellenborough concurred in opinion that some prompt arrangement was absolutely necessary, with a view to the more expeditious hearing of appeals; otherwise there would be a denial of justice to the public, and the character of the House would be disgraced.

The Earl of Liverpool also urged the necessity of some measure being adopted in the present session for that purpose.

Earl Grey thought, that before any such measure was resorted to, an inquiry ought to take place, as to whether the business in the Court of Chancery had actually increased, it being understood that the number of Bills in that Court was not so great as in the time of Lord Hardwicke.

Lord Redesdale contended, that the number of Bills was no criterion of the business of the Court of Chancery, which, he knew of his own knowledge, had immensely increased; the increase arising from the motions of various descriptions, from cases of bankruptcy, and a variety of other matters. Causes also lasted much longer now, not only in the Court of Chancery, than they had done within his own experience, but also in other Courts, and likewise in that House, from the practice of a greater number of counsel being employed on each side, and their speeches being much longer than formerly.

The Lord Chancellor observed, that whoever might be Chancellor, it was impossible for any man in that situation to attend sufficiently to the business in the Court of Chancery, and the judicial business in that House.

ORDERS IN COUNCIL.

Earl Filzwilliam adverted to the notice he had lately given, that he might feel it necessary to trouble the House with a motion on the subject of the Orders in Council; but observed that the document which had been published yesterday, in the Gazette, was perfectly satisfactory, and, therefore, he did not mean to bring forward any motion

upon the subject. He was happy that Ministers had at length retracted the errors of their former policy, and had no doubt that the measure they had adopted would be perfectly satisfactory to the manufacturing interests of the country.

The Earl of Liverpool disclaimed for himself and his colleagues, in the adoption of the measure alluded to, any acknowledgment of errors in their former policy; contending, on the contrary, that the Orders in Council had been highly beneficial to the commercial interests of the country. The circumstances which had led to the adoption of this measure, it was not now necessary to advert to. In consequence of the communication of the Decree of the French Covernment revoking the Berlin and Milan Decrees, so far as regarded American vessels, it had been thought expedient by his Majesty's Government to revoke the Orders in Council, so far also as regarded American vessels, with the view, if possible, of bringing back the commerce of belligerents to right and just principles. If, however, that should be found impossible, his Majesty's Government reserved the full power of resorting to such measures as circumstances might require.

The Marquis of Lansdowne, whilst he condemned the conduct of Ministers, in suffering the investigation relative to the Orders in Council publicly to proceed, and thereby disclosing facts which might be mischievous, when they might themselves as a Government have privately obtained all the requisite information, gave them at the same time full credit for the decisive and satisfactory nature of the document which was yesterday published, and which he was decidedly of opinion ought to satisfy the manufacturers of this country, and ought to satisfy the United States of America. Should however the United States, not satisfied with this concession, go beyond the line, in their demands, which the maritime rights and honour of this country prescribed, he should feel it his duty, and he was satisfied bis noble friends who sat around him, would also feel it their duty to support the Government against any such demands, and thereby to support those maritime rights which were essential to our welfare. His lordship concluded by moving an Address to the Prince Regent, praying for a copy of the document published yesterday relative to the Orders in Council; which was agreed to, and ordered to be presented by the Lords with white staves.-Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24.

The Poor Debtors' Bill and the Irish Customs Regulation Bill were read a third time and passed.

Lord Jocelyn reported that the Prince Regent, pursuant to an Address of the House, would order certain accounts of disbursements from the Civil List to be laid before it.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.

The House went into a Committee of Supply, when Mr. Wellesley Pole, Mr. Rose, and Mr. Wharton, moved Resolutions voting the following sums:-1,216,000l. for Irish Treasury Bills outstanding; 23,4871. for the Royal Naval Asylum; 7,4051. for the Trustees of the British Museum; 1,000l. for the purchase of Books relating to the History of Great Britain and her dependencies; 4,5301. for Printing the Journals; 11,585, for the erection of Bethlem Hospital; 6,910l. for the Commissioners of the Public Records: besides many other smaller sums annually voted for Miscel laneous Services.

Colonel Palmer moved a Resolution, "that the sum of 78,3441. be granted to John Palmer, Esq. as the arrears of his per-centage on the receipts of the Post Office."

After some conversation between Mr. Long, Mr. Wharton, Mr. Whitbread, Colonel Palmer, Mr. Tierney, Sir J. Newport, and Mr. Croker, relative to the absence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Resolution was agreed to. The Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again.

A Message from the Lords demanded a conference on the Whitby Harbour Bill, which was acceded to, and managers were appointed, who retired to the Painted Chamber for the purpose of conducting it. On their return, Admiral Moorsom reported at the bar the result of the conference.

A Message from the Peers announced their lordships' assent to the Londonderry Court-house Bill, and to the Margate Harbour Bill.

Sir John Newport withdrew his motion relative to the Civil List in Ireland, in consequence of a Bill being before Parliament, during the stages of which he should have an opportunity of expressing his opinion upon the subject.