400 of them, he would reduce the 500 other excepting even his political opponents, to actualstarvation. Pursers were brought equally zealous to promote the comfort of up generally to the pen and ink line, and, the navy. in port, not one of them would live on Mr. Money said, the object of his hon. board their respective vessels ; so that the friend seemed to have been misapprepay, which was only about 701. a year, if hended. It was not bis intention, he bethey did not remain on board, would really lieved, to throw any imputation upon the be less than the present half-pay allowance. conduct of the Admiralty, but simply to Not one of them would make the ex- submit the fact to the notice of the House, change. The old plan of rewarding pur. that a great difference did exist in the rate sers, while it profited them but little, was of providing for the officers of the army expensive to the country. The lowest and navy. The services of the navy, and rate of a purser's half-pay was 3s. a day, the glorious deeds achieved by its means, which was more than the most of those were in a special manner entitled to the who had ships before received; the higher gratitude of this country; for without our rates were 4 and 5 shillings a day. There navy, the triumphs of our army had not were no complaints from any one purser of been so signal and complete.' Without this arrangement. But with this liberality | the co-operation of our navy, the exerthe Admiralty had made a provision for tions of Wellington and his victorious economy, and had determined that no troops would not have been attended with more pursers should be made till they such brilliant and decisive success. When were reduced to the number of those who he considered the many and signal triwould have ships under the old system.-umphs they had obtained, the long and The hon. gentleman had next mentioned arduous blockades they had sustained midshipmen who had been promoted to for years together, it was impossible for be officers called purser's clerks. This him to admit that the rate of compensastatement was a bundle of blunders, and tion to which they were in justice entitled if he had not known the gentleman from should be inferior to that of the army. whom it came, he should have attributed it The bravery of British seamen was proto one of his own countrymen. A midship- . verb nl, and he need only instance the man could not be promoted to be a clerk, conduct of his hon. friend the member for the situation of clerk was inferior to for Glamorgan, who with a handful of that of midshipman. Secondly, there was men on board his ship, performed actions no such office as purser's clerk. There last war which were sufficient to immorwere, indeed, persons denominated cap. talize him. The bombardment of Algiers tains' clerks, who were not officers, and was also a striking proof of the bravery of who had nothing to do with pursers—but British seamen, and ought to induce the who kept the captain's accounts, were ap- House to keep a strict and watchful eye pointed and might be dismissed by him,' to their interests. He hoped, therefore, and were the private servants of the cap- that the situation of naval officers, of all tains, except that an allowance was made classes, would be aitended to, and that for them by the public. It was true that, they would meet with that protection as they were the only persons in civil from their country which their conduct employ connected with ships, it was usual so richly merited. to select the pursers from the most de

Mr. Huskisson said, that the hon. genserving of them; but they could have no tleman had spoken of our navy as it that more claim to half-pay than the amanuensis House had heard then, for the first time, of any member of that House. He com- of their gallant deeds-as if their services plained of the hon. gentleman, that with a had been altogether forgotten. Had he zeal meritorious in its origin, but mis- been, however, at the pains to inform himchievous in its effect, he chose to attack self, he might have been soon satisfied, a board of Admiralty, which had laboured that the country had neither been insenwith anxiety, diligence, and success, for sible to the services of our gallant seamen, the good of the service-which, in five or nor unmindful of making due provision six years, bad done more for the benefit of for their comforts. He would likewise the navy, and thence of the nation, than have found, that no such distinction exever had been done in twenty.five or isted in the rate of compensation to the twenty-six years before. He did not army and navy as he had been led to mean by that to blame former administra- think ; or, if it did, that it was easily to tions ; 'he knew they were all, without be accounted for, from the nature and

circumstances of the different services. quainted with those things than he was, as In the army, the opportunities which an he was paid for knowing them. His obofficer had of improving his fortune by ject in making the observations he had prize-money did 'not often occur; and made, was not for the purpose of obstructwhen they did occur, it was for the most ing the proposed grant, but of pointing part but to an inconsiderable amount. In out deserving men who were neglected; the navy such opportunities were frequent, and as long as he had the honour of a seat and often to a very great amount. The in the House, he should not cease to reofficers of the navy were sensible of iterate the claims of those whose wounds these advantages, and never looked to and services entitled them to so much any farther compensation. On the late consideration. He would still maintain triumph at Algiers, to which the hon. gen. that the same attention was not paid to tleman had alluded, the sum of 100,0001. those who had claims from wounds rehad been distributed among those who ceived in the naval service, as was given had been engaged in that service, besides to those who had been wounded in the the honours and distinctions conferred army. This was a feeling which existed upon those who had signalized themseives throughout every branch of the naval by their conduct and valour. He con- service, from the highest to the lowest tended, that nothing could be more false rank. in argument, nor more mischievous in its Mr. Croker admitted, that it was the consequences, than the practice of form- hon. gentleman's right to make any obing comparisons between the different ser- servations he pleased upon the subject at vices, and maintaining unfounded distinc any stage of the proceedings; but what tions. It had been said, that the late war he had complained of was, that the hon. had been barren in prizes ; but he be- gentleman had not made those remarks in

1 lieved he was warranted in saying, that no a committee. He did not think it quite war in the annals of this country had been fair that the hon. gentleman should come more productive The capture of Banda with his second budget of grievances at a alone had afforded to many the opportu- time when the details could not be so well nity of acquiring the means of indepen- entered into as they might have been in dence, comfort, and wealth. The system a former stage. Whenever the hon. of remunerating for wounds or loss of limbs member thought proper to bring forward was said to be different in the navy from these matters, he would be ready to give what it was in the army. This was true; an account of them most satisfactory, if but the difference was entirely in favour not to the hon. gentleman, at least to the of the navy. For in the latter, pensions House and the country. were given for wounds which were not The several Resolutions were then equivalent to loss of limb, while in the agreed to. army, unless the wounds received were fully equal to loss of limb, it generally hap- New Churches.] Mr. Brogden brought pened that no pensions whatever were up the report of the Committee on that given. It often happened in the navy, part of the Prince Regent's Speech, which that a man received 2501. for wounds, related to the building of New Churches for which in the army nothing would have in different parts of the kingdom. On the been given.

motion that it be read, Mr. Forbes observed, that the hon. Mr. A. Browne was desirous that the secretary to the Admiralty might have power of removing curates should not be spared the patience of the House and his taken away from vicars and transferred to own lungs in the greater part of what he the bishops. When any complaint were had said, for it was already before the made against a curate by the parishioners, House and the public. He had read the the delay of appealing to the bishop, and most part of it in a pamphlet intituled in waiting for his decision, was often very “ Observations on the Navy," purporting great, and frequently detrimental to the to come from “ A Friend to the Navy. interest of the parishioners. He hoped He did not know who the writer was, but that some clause would be introduced to perhaps the hon. secretary was well ac remedy so great an inconvenience. quainted with him. He would not attempt The Chancellor of the Exchequer thought to follow the hon. secretary in the speech it expedient to delay the consideration of he had made to the House. The hon. such minute questions for the committee. secretary must of course be better ac- According to the laws now existing, the rector had no power of removing curates, notwithstanding the liberal grant which who had been licensed by the bishop: parviament had voted, that the commisand every curate ought to be so licensed. sioners would find it insufficient to meet A rector, however, having a number of all the claims which might be made, un curates under him, appointed to different less they were assisted by large private parishes, might remove them from one to subscriptions. He was happy to perceive, another; but that power, by the measure that these subscriptions had already comnow proposed, would be modified, so menced on a most liberal scale, and were that every curate should have a kind of likely to be followed up in the same gepermanent connexion with his particular nerous manner. chapel.

Mr. Wilberforce expressed his decided Mr. C. Grant, sen. was exceedingly approbation of the proposed measure, and happy that such a sum should be voted to felt that the public money could not be so laudable a purpose as that of increasing more profitably employed. the number of churches. He hoped the Mr. Forbes supported the measure, and House would see the necessity of extend- agreed, that the money would be well ing the benefits of the grant to Scotland. laid out in promoting such a purpose. To his own knowledge, there were se- General Thornton asked, whether in veral districts in the northern part of the the cases of divisions of parishes, such as kingdom, some of sixty miles in length that whereby the parish of St. George, and twenty in breadth, without a church Hanover-square, was divided from St. sufficient to contain the one-twentieth Martin's, it was intended that the divi. part of the population. He trusted the sion should be solely for ecclesiastical House would see the necessity of attend purposes ? ing to this important subject.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer could The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, assure the gallant general, that

it was not he heard the observations of his hon. intended to propose a division of parishes friend with attention, and he had no he for civil purposes. But he would dissitation in saying, that his majesty's go- tinctly state, what were the objects of the vernment would have no objection what present bill. In the first place, it would ever to extend the benefit of the grant empower the king, in council, upon a to the northern part of the kingdom. representation to that effect, to direct the But his hon. friend would perceive, that division of a parish, for ecclesiastical in consequence of the great difference in purposes, into two or more parochial the constitution of the church of Scotland districts. Secondly, to such divided disand that of England, it would not be very tricts would be assigned each its church convenient to embody the intended grant and minister. The thuird provision would to both in the same bill. His majesty's extend to the erection of chapels of ease government would have no hesitation in in parishes, the ministers of such chapels supporting any measure which might be to be nominated by the incumbents of the thought necessary for increasing the num- said parishes, subject to the approbation ber of churches in the northern part of of the diocesan, and without at all dethe kingdom, and he was convinced the ranging the civil or secular rule of such same disposition would be found to exist parishes. in the House. The aid would be extended, The Resolution was agreed to, and a he had no doubt, to all parishes whose Bill ordered to be brought in thereupon. extent or population required it. He wished here to correct a misunderstanding

II O USE OF COMMONS. which had gone abroad with respect to some observations which had fallen from

Wednesday, March 18. him on this subject last night. He was MOTION RESPECTING SPANISH Ships represented to have said, that no aid was

SLAVE Trade.] intended to be granted to parishes, where Dr. Phillimore observed, that in rising, the population was under 10,000 persons. pursuant to notice, upon the present ocHe had said no such thing. The com- casion, he did not apprehend it would be missioners to be appointed would have necessary for him to trespass at much the power of granting aid for the building, length upon the time or the patience of or enlargement of churches in all parishes, the House, as the subject was confined according to their particular exigencies. within narrow limits. By a treaty that What he had stated was, that he feared, had been recently concluded, the sum of

ENGAGED

IN

THE

400,0001. was to be paid by the British | decrees reduced by any transaction to a government to Spain, as a compensation perfect nullity. Before the execution of for the losses that the latter power might the recent treaty, no merchant in England sustain by consenting to the Abolition of would have refused the most liberal adthe Slave Trade. By a petition that had vances to these claimants on the security formerly been presented to the House of those sentences of restitution. At prefrom Mr. Page, a person describing him- sent they were wholly valueless. But the self as agent for the merchants residing case of these claimants stood on stronger at the Havannah, concerned in the Slave grounds than the mere sentence of restitu. trade, it appeared, that the Spanish pro- tion. They were protected by an act of perty employed in the slave trade might parliament, the 55th of the present reign, be divided into three classes : first, those by which, not only a restitution in value cases of vessels condemned in the colonial was enacted, but it was ordered that paycourts, where the appeal was interposed ment should be made on the production too Jate; 2dly, the cases of appeals in of the sentences by the treasurer of the progress; and, lastly, those cases where navy. Applications had been made by the decrees of the courts of this country these claimants to the courts, in order to had ordered restitution to the full value accelerate the payment, and the answer of the property. With the two first classes, was, that a treaty was pending. Of the his motion had nothing to do. It exclu- treasurer of the navy, the value of the sively referred to the case of those claim- property had been demanded, but the ants who were in possession of sentences claim was, from time to time evaded ; alof restitution from British courts in this though, under the provisions of the very country. It might be said, and he did act of parliament, a sum of 48,000l. was not mean to controvert the position, that paying to French claimants, similarly situthe king of Spain possessed the power of ated. He could not but consider it due contracting for his subjects in arrange to the character of the tribunals in this ments with foreign states. It was not his country, in which the law of nations was intention to enter on that view of the administered, that government should question. It was much more material specially provide for those, who held senwith him to uphold and preserve inviolate tences of restitution under their order, the ancient and pre-eminent character of and that it should not go forth to the the courts in which the laws of nations world, that they were vilified and of no were administered in this country. The effect. It was endeavoured, by those who parties who had sought for restitution of looked at our maritime character with jeatheir property, had appealed to the British lousy, to attach a political character to courts, in the fullest reliance on their those tribunals. To that aspersion their acknowledged character for undeviating pre-eminent character was the best refu. good faith and justice. And, in referring tation, and therefore it was that he reto the cases where the sentence of resti- gretted any event that had a tendency to tution had been made, he found that resti- impair the value of their decisions. Why tution was ordered in two instances, as should not these claimants be indemnified? far back as January, 1817; another in There remained one point on which, from May of the same year, and the fourth in what he had heard since he entered the December last; while the treaty with House, he was anxious to be fully underSpain was not ratified until the end of stood. No man more sincerely wished for that month. Yet by that treaty, a decree the total abolition of the slave trade; no of the law of nations, putting these parties man was more sensible of the embarrassin possession of their property, or the ments this country had to contend with, value of their property, was rendered, to in achieving that important concession, all useful purposes in this country, but as by which the tract of the African contiso much waste paper. It was unnecessary nent, to the northward of the equinoctial for him to trespass on the attention of that line, was at length placed within the pale House with any panegyric on the charac. of civilized society, and relieved from the ter of those courts. Happily for the times predatory attacks of the Spanish slavein which we lived, their decisions did not dealer, and all others, who had so long rest on abstract or speculative notions ; carried on their detestable pursuit, under they had attained to a certainty equal to the cover of that flag. The question he had those of the municipal courts. It must the honour to submit, stood wholly indetherefore be a source of regret to see their pendent of the slave trade.The hon. and

6

learned gentleman concluded with moving, I brought to a close. On the common rea“ That an humble Address be presented son of the thing, therefore, it was clear, to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that the power of negotiating upon, and to represent to his Royal Highness, that it adjusting the claims of subjects, should appears to this House, that several Spa- remain with the sovereign. All writers nish subjects have obtained sentences of upon the law of nations were agreed as to restitution of vessels engaged in the Afri- that point. It could be proved, by two can slave trade, which had been detained practical cases exactly in point, which had by his majesty's cruizers, and brought to obtained the sanction of parliament. One adjudication in the courts of admiralty of was, the treaty negotiated at Vienna in this country, but have not yet been put the year 1815. By that treaty, 300,0001. into possession of the same: and that they was stipulated to be paid to the king of commenced and prosecuted their suits at Portugal, in compensation for the same considerable expense, under the implicit description of injury as that to which the confidence which they have reposed in the motion referred. Some of the cases rejustice and integrity of the British tribu specting Portuguese vessels captured by nals, and upon the faith of an act passed British cruisers, were then actually in proin the 55th year of his majesty's reign, gress before the courts. He did not know intituled, “ An Act to provide for the sup- whether any had been completely decided. • port of captured Slaves during the period In like manner, by the treaty with America • of adjudication.'--— That, being deeply in- in 1783, the subjects of this realın were to terested in upholding and maintaining in bring their complaints for unjustifiable capviolate the decisions of the tribunals of ture of ships, before the American tributhis country, most earnestly do entreat his nals. In some cases they obtained justice, Royal Highness, that he will be graciously but in others it was denied. For that reapleased to take effectual measures to pro- son the sovereign entered into a stipulation vide that the Spanish subjects, who are for the adjustinent of those claims; and

, actually in possession of sentences of res- the American government itself undertook titution, may receive the full amount of to indemnify the claimants in cases where the property decreed to be restored to justice could not be obtained before the them.'

tribunals. There were two modifications Lord Castlereagh said, that he fully entered into on the subject. The first esagreed with some of the general observa- tablished the right of going with claims, tions of the hon. and learned gentleman. not to courts of justice, but before comHis exposition, so far as it went, was per- missioners, who were to examine them, fectly fair and clear. He had no doubt, and to order payment. The proceedings but he should be able to prevent the sub- before the commissioners not having given ject in such a light, as would give satis- satisfaction, a second modification was faction to the House, and to the hon. and entered into, which compounded the learned gentleman himself; and to prove whole claims for 600,000l. This compoto him, that circumstances were such as sition was received by the Crown, alto free the arrangements with Spain from though the claims, if prosecuted, would all impeachment. He would first make a amount to five or six millions. Whereas few observations as to the general grounds here, the sum given to the Spanish king of the right upon which the arrangement was not only ample enough for all the was entered into. There could be no claims of his subjects, but it was considoubt, that it was perfectly competent to derably beyond their amount. The preone sovereign to contract with another as cedent of America, followed by the treaty to the claims of their subjects, with a view of 1815, and the common sense and laws to adjustment. The claims of individual of nations, thus established the right and subjects would otherwise lead to general power of one sovereign to compound with confusion and perpetual warfare. It was another for the interests of his subjects.the duty of a sovereign to obtain justice There was a general observation made by for his subjects from foreign powers; but the hon. and learned gentleman to which the Crown was alone competent to judge every man was alive; namely, that it was how far it had a right to prosecute that of the utmost importance to the national end by warfare or stipulation. If any honour to support the national tribunals; other principle were admitted, all claims but the hon. and learned member had negof subjects might become individually an lected to remark the natural distinction object of negotiation which could never be between tribunals for internal cases of jus