sion of parliament appearing to be the probable consequences of the discussion thereon, your petitioner humbly submits to your honourable House, that he should, in justice, be permitted to avail himself of the interval in collecting his evidence at the Cape for substantiating the accusations he has advanced. on those scriptures could be said to deny Christianity. But, perhaps the Christianity meant was that which existed at the time to which the origin of this law maxim referred. If so, their lordships were placed in a curious dilemma; for they ought now to believe in that transubstantiation, which every person was called upon to abjure before he could sit in that House. He wished the House to see the consequences of extending the application of this maxim. He reminded their lordships of the important decision in the remarkable case of Mr. Evans, who, being fined for not accepting an office, refused to pay the fine, on the ground that he, in taking office, would be required to conform to the church of England, which as a Dissenter, he would not do. He was answered, that his very non-conformity was itself a crime, and therefore could afford no ground for his not paying the fine. After the cause had gone through the courts below, it came, by appeal before their lordships, and the House decided, that Mr. Evans was not obliged to pay the fine. The ground of this decision was, that the Toleration act gave a right of protection to all Dissenters. Since the passing of the late act relative to Unitarians, those persons stood in the same situation as all other Protestant Dissenters; and if the Toleration act did not protect them, it afforded no security to any members of any sect whatever. The Lord Chancellor said, he had given no opinion of his own on the subject of the law as it applied to the Unitarians. He had merely stated what had actually passed in the courts of law in Westminster-hall. Ordered to lie on the table. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Tuesday, July 5. CONDUCT OF LORD CHARLES SOMERSET AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE-PETITION OF MR. BISHOP BURNETT.] Mr. Brougham presented the following petition from Mr. Bishop Burnett, of the Cape of Good Hope. The contents of the petition were as follows: "That your petitioner having presented sundry grievances to your honourable House, inculpating the conduct of his excellency the governor of the Cape of Good Hope, and that his excellency's return to this country to repel your petitioner's charges at the next ses "Your petitioner, well aware that in promoting this inquiry, he is opposing himself to the concentrated force of a gigantic power, has no security but in the justice and sympathy of your honourable House; and as he has no hesitation in declaring, that with the collection of his evidence, thus facilitated, he cannot only prove the charges already adduced, but others also of equal magnitude, he trusts that your honourable House, in its paramount disposition to further the first end of its high calling, will perceive the necessity of allowing your petitioner, the accuser, to approach the bar of your honourable House upon equal terms with lord Charles Somerset, the accused. "Your petitioner begs further to present, that as the unwarrantable violence of his deportation from the Cape was a virtual inhibition to the security of evidence of any kind, even to the proof of his banishment, your honourable House will not permit your petitioner to appear before it disqualified by injustice to bring home charges of oppression and persecution. "Your petitioner's private affairs-if he may presume to offer so inconsequential a motive for consideration to your honourable House-imperatively demand his presence at the Cape, appellant, as he is, in nine causes before the full Court of Justice, each involving very important issues to himself and his brother colonists, and the fiat of his competence or beggary hanging upon their decision. "Your petitioner respectfully adds, that he should have manifested less zeal in vindication of his violated rights as a British subject, as a man, and as a gentleman, but for an impeachment of his veracity, and a direct charge of conspiracy brought against him by the under secretary of state for the Colonial department. Your petitioner is from hence solemnly determined to prove his charges to the world, even should his excellency lord Charles Somerset not avail himself of the permission to return, granted by his majesty's government, contrary to a most affronting implication of earl Bathurst, that your petitioner's importunity to the colonial department resulted from his apprehension of strict investigation into his complaints. "Your petitioner therefore prays, that your honourable House will, with reference to the premises, adopt such measures for his immediate return to the Cape of Good Hope as the magnitude of the occasion implies, and the wisdom of your honourable House may deem proper; and your petitioner will ever pray. (Signed) B. BURNETT." Mr. Hume observed, that this petition contained grave charges, and he wished to know whether there would be any facilities afforded by government to the petitioner to return to the Cape, for the purpose of collecting evidence to substantiate them? Mr. Canning was at a loss to conceive upon what ground government could be called upon to assist with money every person who chose to prefer complaints against public functionaries in that House. Mr. Hume said, that the right hon. gentleman misunderstood his object. Mr. Burnett had been banished from the Cape by lord C. Somerset; and it was necessary that he should return to obtain evidence in support of his petition. Would he be permitted to do so? He any foreign state to regulate, in the slightest degree, the conduct of this country towards any of the states of South America; nor, if such an attempt had been made, could there have been the least chance of its being successful. The reason why the individual in question had not been presented, was, that although he appeared in the character of envoy extraor dinary and minister plenipotentiary, he had no regular credentials. The state of Buenos Ayres had sent this gentleman a paper appointing him minister plenipotentiary to this country, but making him minister plenipotentiary also to France; and he did think that England was not stickling too much upon ceremony in saying that she must have an entire minister to herself. It had benn suggested, in some quarters, that these states, which were as new powers in the division of the world, might well be placed, in some points, upon a more free footing than the older ones. In this view, he by no means agreed. thought it was sufficient that they were fully and regularly brought into the community of nations; and, as far as his advice went, the same full observance of all forms and arrangements should be required from them, as from the oldest, best secured, or most despotic governments existing. The paper which this gentleman produced might be sufficient between his government and himself; but it was not sufficient between his government and this country; nor could he be properly admited into the condition of a minister without producing the formal and usual credentials. There was another point, upon which he desired to say a few words. It so happened, that at an early period of the present year, the state of Buenos Ayres had appointed a British subject, a SOUTH AMERICA.] Mr. Secretary gentleman who was a partner in a conCanning said, he had come down to the siderable mercantile house in this country, House, in order to answer certain ques- its consul-general for England. In that tions which had been put, on a preced- capacity the individual alluded to had ing evening, by the hon. member for called upon him, and, tendering his comTaunton (Mr. Baring), whom he did not mission, had proposed to enter with him now see in his place. The hon. member had into the discussion of highly material poremarked, that an individual of great re-litical transactions. Now, under such spectability, accredited to this country by the state of Buenos Ayres, had not been presented at the last levee; and, from that fact, the hon. member had inferred, that some interference had been used by foreign powers to prevent that gentleman's being so received. This suggestion he desired to say was wholly void of foundation. No attempt had been made on the part of Mr. Wilmot Horton said, it was not at all essential to the case of this petitioner that he should go to the Cape for evidence. At least, hitherto it had not been shown that such evidence was necessary. When it had, then would be the time for entertaining the question of permitting him to return. Every statement which he had hitherto made, had turned out to be unfounded. Ordered to lie on the table. circumstances, he had no hesitation in decidedly refusing to listen to that gentleman; and he had, moreover, refused even to see him a second time. He had taken that course, in the first place, because the appointment in question had not been regular; but he had felt another objection, of still greater importance. In all the relations of England with these new states "While his Majesty regrets the continuance of the war in the East Indies with the Burmese government, he trusts that the gallant exertions of the British and native forces employed in operations in the enemy's territory may lead to a speedy and satisfactory termination of the contest. there had been a great deal more of com- of their friendly disposition towards this mercial and of speculative, than of politi-country, and of their desire to maintain cal actual transaction. And whoever the general peace. considered what had been the fluctuation of various projects within the last year in this country, would see, that it was only taking a proper precaution, when he had expressed a desire that the states of America, generally, would not appoint British merchants in this country to be their consuls. Upon the same principle, he had written to his Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Buenos Ayres, and to the resident ministers at other places, requesting that such nominations might not take place in future. He had, moreover, written to the officers of this country ap pointed in America, generally, desiring that they would not engage in commercial transactions; and he had removed any whom he thought to have done so in despite of that prohibition, HOUSE OF LORDS. Wednesday, July 6. THE KING'S SPEECH AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION.] After the royal assent had been given to sundry bills, the Session was put an end to, by Commission. Upon which occasion, the Lord Chancellor delivered the following speech: "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "We have it in command from his Majesty to thank you for the Supplies which you have granted to him for the service of the present year, and at the same time to express the satisfaction which he derives from the reduction you have found it practicable to make in the burthens of his people. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "His Majesty has commanded us to assure you, that he is highly sensible of the advantages which must result from the measures you have adopted in the course of this session, for extending the commerce of his subjects by the removal of unnecessary and inconvenient restrictions, and from the beneficial relaxations which you have deemed it expedient to introduce into the colonial system of this "My Lords and Gentlemen, "The business of the Session being now brought to a conclusion, we are commanded by his Majesty to express the great satisfaction which he feels in releas-country. ing you from your laborious attendance in Parliament. "His Majesty returns you his warmest acknowledgements for the zeal and assiduity with which you have prosecuted the inquiries into the state of Ireland, which he recommended to you at the opening of the Session. "It is a particular gratification to his Majesty, that the tranquillity and improved condition of that part of the United Kingdom have rendered the extraordinary powers with which you had invested his Majesty no longer necessary for the public safety. "His Majesty is happy to be able to announce to you, that he receives from all Foreign Powers the strongest assurances "These measures, his Majesty is persuaded, will evince to his subjects in those distant possessions, the solicitude with which Parliament watches over their welfare: they tend to cement and consolidate the interests of the colonies with those of the mother country, and his Majesty confidently trusts that they will contribute to promote that general and increasing prosperity, on which his Majesty had the happiness of congratulating you on the opening of the present Session, and which, by the blessing of Providence, continues to pervade every part of his kingdom." After which, the Lord Chancellor prorogued the Parliament to the 25th of August. 15 APPENDIX No. II.-An Account of the ORDINARY REVENUES and EXTRAORDINARY Money brought from the Civil List, on Account of the Clerk of the Hanaper..... Money received in repayment of the Loan raised Money received from the Trustees of Naval and Imprest Monies repaid to sundry Public Ac- TOTALS of the Public Income of Great 7,827 5 2 7,827 5 2 |