§ Lord Stanley brought up a petition from several inhabitants of Liverpool, against the Bill for repealing the 5th Elizabeth.
Mr. Serj. Onslowsaid, he by no means rose to object to the petition being brought up; but merely to observe, that he thought much misapprehension had gone abroad respecting the Bill which he had given notice it was his intention to bring in on this subject. If he should receive permission of the House to bring in his Bill, he could assure the House and the public, that it had never been within his contemplation, to interfere in the smallest degree with chartered rights, nor would it affect those descriptions of persons who appeared to have taken alarm on the subject. As to attornies, he believed they did not come within the limits of the 5th Eliz.; for by an Act of Geo. 2, serving a clerkship of five years to any attorney regularly admitted by the courts in Westminster hall entitled any person to practise the profession; and he had always though ape the caries were exempted from the Act of Elizabeth. His only aim in bringing in a Bill on the subject, if he should be permitted to do so, was to removed a great number of difficulties and inconvenience to which many trades were liable from the provisions of that Act.
Mr. Rosesaid, there might be a doubt whether attornies were within the Act of Elizabeth; but he thought apothecaries certainly were; for no man could act as an apothecary, without having served an apprenticeship of seven years.
§ The Petition was then ordered to lie on the table.