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ment, may, from what fell from his lordship, go back, in the first instance, to the court of session in Scotland, for them to decide on the pursuer's title.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, MAY 23.

Several bills on the table were forwarded in their re spective stages.

The corks duty bill was brought up from the commons by Mr. Wharton and other members, and read a first time; as were also the court of session stock bill, brought up by the Lord Advocate of Scotland; the child-stealing bill by Mr. Alderman Combe, and several private bills by Mr. Wharton, lord Milton, Mr. Lygon, lord Folkstone, Mr. Graham, Mr. Vyse, and other members.

The consideration of the report of the committee of privileges respecting the claim to the Banbury peerage was, on the motion of the Lord Chancellor, postponed till Wednesday.

The Duke of Norfolk moved to appoint one of the heralds to assist the attorney general in this case, but finding the motion informal, the noble duke withdrew it, and gave notice of a motion for Wednesday, to address his majesty for a similar purpose.

The Earl of Suffolk expressed his regret, that a noble secretary of state was not present, as he wished to ask him a question respecting the droits of admiralty, conceiving it of great importance, that the disposal of so large a sum as these were said to amount to should be accounted for.

On the motion of the Archbishop of Cashel, the house went into a committee on the Irish glebe house bill. Lord Redesdale suggested an amendment for the purpose of making the bonds payable to the board of first fruits instead of the crown, in order to prevent the money from being so lodged in the treasury as to prevent the application of it by the board. After some conversation be tween the Archbishops of Dublin, Cashel, and the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Suffolk, Lord Redesdale, and the Lord Chancellor, it was agreed to postpone the farther consideration of the subject till Wednesday.

The committee on the Irish clergy residence bill was, on the motion of the Lord Chancellor, postponed till Wednesday.

MARRIAGE BILL.

On the motion of the Bishop of Exeter, the house went into a committee on the bill for rendering valid certain marriages solemnized in certain churches and chapels where bans could not legally be published. The blank for the day up to which such marriages are to be legal, was filled up with the 23d of August, 1808.

Lord Redesdale thought the clause for indemnifying the clergymen solemnizing such marriages objectionable, though he should not oppose it upon the present occasion. An intimation of an intention to oppose such clauses in future might perhaps have the effect of preventing the solemnization of these marriages.

The Archbishop of Canterbury observed, that the necessity for these bills arose out of the very different provisions which applied to different churches and chapels, in some of which marriages were allowed to be solemnized and in others not. From the previous habits of clergymen, many of them could not be supposed to be acquainted with these legal distinctions, and were thus uninten tionally led to solemnize illegal marriages. Another cause also arose out of a clause in the marriage act passed in the last reign, and which declared all marriages illegal that were solemnized in any church or chapel in which bans were not then published. This was the great cause of these illegal marriages being solemnized, many clergymen not being aware of the distinction. He was afraid no effectual remedy could be applied, although every means would be used for that purpose, unless the legis lature were to make a general enactment, declaring in what churches and chapels marriages should now be le gally solemnized.

Lord Redesdale thought the suggestion might be car ried into effect, by means of a clause in the present bill.

The Bishop of Oxford took an opportunity of mention. ing the abuses that were practised with respect to the publication of bans, by means of parties taking a fictitious lodging in a parish different from that in which they resided, and having the bans there published. He knew of many very improper marriages which had taken

place in consequence of this abuse, which he had in vain endeavoured to remedy.

The Lord Chancellor observed that it was the opinion of lord Thurlow, that the clergyman in such a case might be indicted for a temporal offence, it being the meaning of the law that the bans should be published in the parish where the parties dwelt, and it also being the duty of the clergyman to make inquiry as to that fact; although such marriages, being in themselves legally solemnized, were undoubtedly good.

After some further conversation, it was agreed to postpone till the report an amendment suggested by the Lord Chancellor, to compel the registers of these churches and chapels to transmit duplicates of the registry to the ordinary.

The house resumed, and the report was ordered to be received on Wednesday. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY, MAY 23.

A message from the lords announced their assent to the Irish titles bill, the Irish post-office bill, the paymaster's accounting bill, &c.

Sir G. Hill brought up the Derry school bill. Read a first, and ordered to be read a second time.

A petition was presented from the chamber of commerce at Glasgow, in favour of the sugar distillation. Ordered to be referred to the committee for considering the report.

The Irish fees of assize bill was committed. Report to-morrow.

Mr. Huskisson, in a committee on the pilchard acts, proposed, that a like bounty should be granted on the exportation of pilchards to any place abroad, as had before been granted on exportation to the Mediterranean and the West Indies. Resolution agreed to, and report to

morrow.

Mr. Thornton presented a petition from the owners and occupiers of land in Surry against the sugar distillation. Referred to the committee.

Mr. Grattan presented the petition of the Irish catholics, praying, in the usual form, for a repeal of the ob

noxious statutes by which they were excluded from the benefits of the constitution; and urging, particularly, that the existence of these was contrary to the opinions of the wisest statesmen that this country ever boasted of. The petition being read and ordered to lie on the table,

Mr. Grattan gave notice that he would, on Wednes day, move for a committee to take it into consideration.

Mr. Matthew then presented another petition to the same effect, from the catholics of the county of Tipperary, insisting upon the expediency of uniting all the popula tion of the country against the common enemy, by admitting the catholics to a participation of the blessings of the constitution, Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. Lethbridge brought up Mr. Palmer's per-centage bill. Read a first, and ordered to be read a second time on Thursday, and to be printed.

Mr. Rose brought up his bill for repealing certain laws respecting the woollen manufactures. Read a first time. Mr. Rose observed, that though this subject had been long under the consideration of the house, yet, as it was one of the greatest importance, he would not press the second reading till to-morrow se'nnight. Ordered to be read a second time on that day, and to be printed.

PILOTS BILL.

Mr. Jackson presented a petition from the Dover pilots against the Dover pilots bill. Ordered to lie on the

table.

Mr. Rose moved that the house should go into a committee on the bill, that he might shew how utterly unfounded the opposition to it was.

Lord H. Petty suggested, that it would be necessary to recommit the bill afterwards.

Mr. Rose assented to this.

The speaker having then left the chair,

Mr. Rose stated, that he intended at any rate to have the bill recommitted, on account of the amendments which he had found it necessary to introduce. This was a bill, he said, of the greatest importance to the country in va rious points of view, and especially with respect to the preservation of health; for one of his chief objects was to enforce the quarantine laws, which at present were often evaded. After two months correspondence on the subject VOL. III.-1808. R

with the best-informed people in various quarters, he found that all agreed in the propriety of such a bill, except the Dover pilots. They conceived that they should be injured by the appointment of an additional number of pilots. On the point of the number, he had not as yet finally made up his mind. About a century ago, the pumber of Dover pilots had been fixed at 120, and no increase had since taken place, although the shipping in all the ports had increased prodigiously; we think he said, in the out-ports threefold, and in the port of London tenfold. The consequence was, that there was great difficulty, in finding pilots to bring ships into the port of London; and the merchants of London, therefore, were most anxious to obtain an increase of the number. Last winter twenty ships ran aground in the Downs: some of them were lost, and many seamen perished. He referred to the committee therefore, whether, looking at the loss of lives and property, occasioned by the want of regular pilots, there was not the strongest call for a bill of this nature. As to political influence, he professed to have nothing of that sort in view. His object was, to have an increase of the number of pilots.

Lord Henry Petty said, that another opportunity would be allowed to consider the merits of the bill, but he could not help at present complaining of his want of information on this subject, and the state of inability in which he was left to judge of it. The danger to the shipping might arise from the want of number, but it might also arise from the incompetency of the pilots already existing and by increasing the number, it was possible that an addition would only be made to the cause of this want of competency. He therefore thought it extremely desirable that documents should be laid on the table to give information on the subject, especially the report of the shipping company of London, from which the bill originated:

Mr. Rose adverted to the fact, that the quarantine laws were neglected from want of a sufficient number of pilots to see them executed. He had never, he said, heard any complaints of the incompetency of the Dover pilots'; and as to the Trinity-house pilots, a more respectable body of men, or more competent to do their duty, never existed in any country.

Lord Henry Petty never intended to say that the bill

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