House of Lords Journal Volume 63: 11 February 1831

Die Veneris, 11°Februarii 1831.

DOMINI tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Peniche Leave for a Naturalization Bill:

Upon reading the Petition of John Thomas Peniche, Son of Antonio Joze Peniche and Jacinta Maria his Wife, born at Oporto, in the Kingdom of Portugal; praying their Lordships, "That Leave may be given to bring in a Bill for his Naturalization:"

It is Ordered, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill, according to the Prayer of the said Petition.

Bill presented.

Accordingly, The Earl of Shaftesbury presented to the House a Bill, intituled, "An Act for naturalizing John Thomas Peniche."

The said Bill was read the First Time.

E. of Mar v. Lady F. Erskine et al., Appellant's Petition to receive his Case, referred to Appeal Com ee.

Upon reading the Petition of John Francis Miller Erskine Earl of Mar, Appellant in a Cause depending in this House, to which Lady Frances Jemima Erskine, and others, are Respondents; praying their Lordships, "That his printed Case may now be received:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee appointed to consider of the Causes in which Prints of the Appellants and Respondents Cases, now depending in this House in Matters of Appeals and Writs of Error, have not been delivered, pursuant to the Standing Orders of this House.

Magistrates of Dundee et al. v. Kay & Morton.

The House being moved, "That a Day may be appointed for hearing the Cause wherein the Magistrates of the Royal Burgh of Dundee, and others, are Appellants, and Alexander Kay and John Morton are Respondents, ex-parte, the Respondents not having put in their Answer to the said Appeal, though peremptorily Ordered so to do:"

It is Ordered, That this House will hear the said Cause, ex-parte, by Counsel at the Bar, on the first vacant Day for Causes after those already appointed, unless the Respondents put in their Answer thereto in the mean time.

Beattie's Petition referred to Judges in Scotland.

Upon reading the Petition of Thomas Beattie Esquire, of Crieve, Heir of Entail in Possession of the Estate of Crieve, in the Counties of Dumfries and Roxburgh; praying Leave to bring in a Bill for the Purposes in the said Petition mentioned:

It is Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be, and is hereby referred to The Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland and Lord Fullerton in Scotland, who are forthwith to summon all Parties before them who may be concerned in the Bill, and, after hearing all the Parties, and perusing the Bill, are to report to the House the State of the Case, with their Opinion thereupon, under their Hands; and are to sign the said Bill.

Kinkaid's Petition referred to Judges in Scotland.

Upon reading the Petition of John Buchanan Kinkaid Esquire, of Carbeth, in the County of Stirling, Heir of Entail in Possession of the Lands, and others, therein mentioned; praying Leave to bring in a Bill for the Purposes in the said Petition mentioned:

It is Ordered, That the Consideration of the said Petition be, and is hereby referred to Lord Glenlee in Scotland and Lord Newton in Scotland, who are forthwith to summon all Parties before them who may be concerned in the Bill, and, after hearing all the Parties, and perusing the Bill, are to report to the House the State of the Case, with their Opinion thereupon, under their Hands; and are to sign the said Bill.

Writs of Error delivered:

The Lord Tenterden, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, in the usual Manner, delivered in, at the Table, Two Writs of Error;

Duvergier v. Fellowes:

In the first of which, Aime Duvergier is Plaintiff, and William Dorset Fellowes is Defendant:

Wilton v. Bird.

And in the last, Henry Wilton is Plaintiff, and Maurice Wilton Bird is Defendant.

Coals carried Coastwise, Petition from Blandford for Repeal of Duty on.

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town and Neighbourhood of Blandford, in Dorsetshire, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "for the immediate Repeal of the Duty levied on Sea-borne Coals, which renders the Homes of our Cottagers comfortless, and their Hearts degenerate:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Pentland v. Murray et al.

Ordered, That the Cause wherein George Pentland is Appellant, and The Honorable James Wolfe Murray, and others, are Respondents, be heard by Counsel at the Bar on Tuesday next.

Hume et al. v. Duncan.

Ordered, That the Cause wherein James Hume Esquire, and others, are Appellants, and William Duncan is Respondent, be heard by Counsel at the Bar on Tuesday next.

Reform of Parliament, Petition from Eastwood in favor of, & for Retrenchment.

Upon reading the Petition of the Justices of the Peace, Magistrates and other Inhabitants of the Parish of Eastwood, in the County of Renfrew, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to take into their Consideration the State of the Nation, and, above all, that of the Elective Franchise, so that Economy may be practised in every Department of the Government; all Pensions, Sinecures and Grants, not merited by well-known Public Services, abolished; the Army reduced; and the People admitted to a just Share in the Election of the Members of the Commons House of Parliament:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Tithe System, Petition from Wargrave for Revision of.

Upon reading the Petition of the principal Owners and Occupiers of Lands in the Parish of Wargrave, County of Berks, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying, "That their Lordships will be pleased to take into their early Consideration the State of the Laws for the Imposition of Tithes on Lands, with a View to such a Melioration of the present Practice, as, by a Limitation of the Tithe to a defined Proportion of the Rent, will protect the full and fair Exercise of the Right of Property of the Tithe Owner to the Tenth of the Increase yearly arising and renewing from the Profits of Lands, at the same Time that the Petitioners and the Agricultural Community will be relieved of the odious Thraldom and Grievances inflicted by the Operation of that impolitic and unjust Tax, which the Petitioners humbly represent to be engendered by the present admitted Practice of the Law, in the Exaction of the Tithe of the whole Produce of the Land:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Assessed Taxes, Petitionsfrom Bridlington Quay & St. Andrew, Norwich, for Repeal of.

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Township of Bridlington Quay, in the East Riding of the County of York, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying, "That their Lordships will cause to be made a great and immediate Reduction in the present Taxes, and more particularly in abolishing the Assessed Taxes, (so highly impolitic and unequal in their Operation,) and which more especially affect the Petitioners and the Country at large:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Upon reading the Petition of the several Persons whose Names are thereunto subscribed, being Inhabitants of the Parish of Saint Andrew, in the City of Norwich; praying, "That their Lordships will grant an immediate Repeal of all Taxes and Duties now existing under the Denomination of Assessed Taxes:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Annandale Peerage, Johnstone's Petition to defer Decision on, referred to Com ee for Privileges on the Claim.

Upon reading the Petition of James Johnstone of Drum, in the County of Monaghan, Esquire; setting forth, "That some Petitions have been laid before their Lordships, from Individuals claiming the respective Dignities and Honors of Annandale, Hartfield and Johnston, in the Kingdom of Scotland, and that such Petitions have been referred for Consideration to Committees of their Lordships House: That from Family Reputation, and other Circumstances, the Petitioner is reputed to be the next Heir Male of those Dignities, and accordingly he has been, and is now, making diligent Enquiry through the Record Repositories in Ireland for written Evidences to substantiate his Claim before their Lordships: That the Petitioner is advised, that, with a View to the thorough Investigation of his Descent, it will be absolutely necessary to make extensive Research through the Parochial Registries and Public Record Offices in Scotland also; and as such Enquiries will require some Time for their Completion, the Petitioner therefore prays their Lordships will defer making final Decisions on the Claims already presented, for such reasonable Time as will enable him to complete his Enquiries:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee for Privileges, to whom the Petition of John James Hope Johnstone of Annandale, Esquire, to His Majesty claiming the Earldom of Annandale and Hartfell, with His Majesty's Reference thereof to this House; also the Petition of John Henry Goodinge Johnstone Esquire, late of Pembroke Place, in the County of Middlesex, now of Bonnington Bank near Edinburgh, to His Majesty, claiming the Titles of Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, Viscount of Annan, Lord Johnstone of Lochwood, Lochmaben, Moffatdale and Evandale, with His Majesty's Reference thereof to this House; also the Petition of Sir Robert Graham Baronet, of Walbrook, in the City of London, to His Majesty, claiming the Titles, Honours and Dignity of Earl of Annandale and Hartfell, Viscount Annan, and Baron Johnstone of Lochwood, Lochmaben, Moffatdale and Evandale, with His Majesty's Reference thereof to this House; also the Petition of William Greig Johnstone, lately residing in the Parish of Monikie, now in the Town of Montrose, County of Forfar, North Britain, to His Majesty, claiming the Title of Earl of Annandale, with His Majesty's Reference thereof to this House; and also the Petition of George Conway Montague Levine Wade Souter Johnston, Lieutenant in the 14th Regiment of Foot, praying their Lordships to grant him Time to procure Evidence to establish his Right to the Marquisate of Annandale, stand referred.

Pensions, Petition from Navan for Abolition of.

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Navan, in the County of Meath, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to withhold Government Pensions, for which the Holders perform no Duty serviceable either to the People or the State, as being unjust, most oppressive and odious to the miserable People of Ireland:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Reform of Parliament, Petition from Rathfigh & Skreen in favor of.

Upon reading the Petition of the loyal Inhabitants of the United Parishes of Rathfigh and Skreen, in Meath, Ireland, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to enforce the Standing Order of the House of Commons for the Exclusion of all Peers from any Interference in the Election of the Representatives of the People; to disfranchise all non-resident Freemen, and to open all Close Boroughs, but at the same Time to extend the Elective Franchise to all resident Householders of a proper Age and Capacity; to substitute Vote by Ballot (without which no Reform can be sufficient) instead of the present System of Suffrage; to limit the Duration of Parliaments to Three Years, consistently with the Statute of William the Third; and by such Means to restore to the People their Constitutional Right of a full and fair Representation in the Commons House of Parliament:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Labourers Wages, Petition from Norfolk for regulating.

Upon reading the Petition of the poor industrious Labouring Class of the Community in the County of Norfolk, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to pass a Law that the Price of a Day's Labour may be fixed according to the Average Price of a Stone of Wheat Meal as it is sold in our Markets, and to advance and drop as the Price of Meal doth; and that the working Hours of a Day's Labour may be fixed to an exact Length of Time; and that the Part of Day and over Hours of Labour shall be paid for at the Rate according to the Price fixed above; and also that all Persons and Children not able to do a Day's Labour shall be paid according to what they can earn:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Slavery, Petitions for Abolition of: (Glenlough:)

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Glenlough, in the County of Leitrim, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying, "That their Lordships will immediately take decisive Measures for the Extinction of the guilty and unconstitutional System of Negro Slavery in the British Colonies:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Milton:

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of Milton, in the County of Stafford, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "immediately to adopt such Measures as shall at once put an End to the cruel, impolitic and unchristian System of Slavery in the British Colonies:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Halmerend.

Upon reading the Petition of the Members of a Congregation of Dissenters of the Independent Denomination meeting at Halmerend, in the Parish of Audley, Staffordshire, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to adopt those Measures which shall immediately and for ever remove the Reproach of Slavery from the British People:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Union with Ireland, Petition from Cork Cutters of Dublin for Repeal of.

Upon reading the Petition of the Cork Cutters of the City of Dublin, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to take into their immediate Consideration the Repeal of the Legislative Union between Great Britain and Ireland:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Absentees, Ireland, Petition from Navan for taxing.

Upon reading the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Navan, in the County of Meath, whose Names are thereunto subscribed; praying their Lordships "to enact a Law whereby a Tax shall be laid on the Revenues got from Ireland by non-resident Landholders, which Tax shall go to the Relief of the Poor of Ireland:"

It is Ordered, That the said Petition do lie on the Table.

Devon Peerage, Com ee to meet.

Ordered, That the Committee for Privileges, to whom the Petition of William Courtenay Viscount Courtenay of Powderham Castle, in the County of Devon, to His Majesty, praying, "That his Right to the Earldom of Devon may be recognized by His Majesty, and that he may be accordingly summoned to Parliament as Earl of Devon;" together with His Majesty's Reference thereof to this House, and the Report of the Attorney General thereunto annexed, stands referred, do meet to consider of the said Claim on Thursday next; and that Notice thereof be given to His Majesty's Attorney General.

Adjourn.

Dominus Cancellarius declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Lunæ, decimum quartum diem instantis Februarii, horâ undecimâ Auroræ, Dominis sic decernentibus.