HC Deb 24 March 1807 vol 9 c177

A Message from the lords declared their lordship's assent to the amendments made by the house on the Bill for the Abolition of the Slave-trade, with the correction of a clerical error in one of them.—The amendment of the house of lords was agreed to, after a particular explanation from the Speaker, who stated it to be the practice of the house to allow such amendments, when they went only to express more fully, and to further their own intentions, as the amendment in the present case did, going only to supply a clerical omission.—Lord Temple moved that the amendments of the lords in the Sierra Leone Company bill should be taken into consideration. The Speaker felt it his duty to call the attention of the house to the subject of these amendments. This bill, proposing to vest lands in the crown, struck him to be of the same nature of a money bill; and if in the one or the other the lords should introduce any amendments, it appeared to him that, according to the privileges of that house, such amendments were fatal to the bill. He supposed, therefore, that some member of that house would move, that this bill should be laid aside. Lord Temple in conformity with the opinion of the chair, moved that this bill should be thrown out; which was agreed to. The noble lord then moved, that the house should tomorrow resolve into a committee upon the acts relative to the Sierra Leone company, with the view of moving for leave to bring in a bill of the same nature as that which had been just rejected—Mr. Vansittart rose to state, that an hon. gent., (Mr. Osborn Markham) who was a member of the Shrewsbury election committee, having vacated his seat in consequence of his acceptance of a certain appointment, he submitted, for the consideration of the house, how the committee were to act under such an event? The Speaker felt that the right hon. gent. had done right in communicating the information which the house had just heard. But as to the subject of that information it was his duty to state, that a member's vacating his seat in consequence of his acceptance of an office which was incompatible with such seat, or from any other natural cause, was no reason why the committee alluded to should not proceed in its investigation, nor could the house prevent, upon such grounds, any such committee from proceeding.—Mr. Lethbridge presented a petition from John Palmer, Esq. of Bath, the original deviser of the mail coach conveyance of letters. The petition stated an agreement having been made, several years ago, between the said John Palmer, and certain persons then in office in his majesty's government, which agreement had never been performed by the said persons, whereby the said John Palmer was greatly injured. It concluded with praying relief. Ordered to lie on the table.—A new writ was ordered for a member to serve in parliament for the borough of Calne, in the room of Osborne Markham Esq. who had accepted the office of Commissioner of Barracks.