HC Deb 25 January 1809 vol 12 c138
Sir T. Turton

rose and said, he held in his hand a Petition from persons confined for debt in the King's-Bench prison, to the number of 367, many of whom had families. He had intended to submit some observations to the house on the unprecedented number of persons at present confined for debt in the different gaols of the kingdom, and the hardships which were produced by the present system of confinement for debt; but as the subject had been taken up by a noble lord in another house, he should at present content himself with moving for leave to present this Petition.—Mr. Whit-bread, seeing a right hon. gent. in his place, wished to ask, what was the nature of the Overture which it was said sir James Saumarez had made, on the part of his majesty, to the emperor of Russia? Mr. Sec. Canning replied, that the Paper alluded to was nothing more than a letter written by that gallant officer to the Emperor, filled with merely general assurances of the pacific inclinations of his majesty; but containing no direct proposal from his majesty's government, nor written under any authority whatever from that government.—Mr. Sec. Canning said, that in consequence of the question put by a noble lord yesterday, relative to the appointment of an hon. member of that house to the Consul-Generalship of Portugal, he had endeavoured to make himself more competent to satisfy the noble lord, than either he or his right hon. friend was yesterday. The appointment had taken place, and he imagined that the gentleman in question had, by that time, arrived at his destination. Lord Folkestone then gave notice, that he would to-morrow move for a new Writ for Poole.