Sitting of 24 November 1813

WAYS AND MEANS.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a Committee, moved that a sum of 10 millions and a half of Exchequer bills should be issued for the service of Great Britain. He thought it right to state, that from the regular system of taking up the Exchequer bills monthly, the quantify now in circulation did not much exceed that of January last.
The Resolution was agreed to, and ordered to be reported to-morrow.
Lord Castlereaghbrought up the Bill for the augmentation of the 60th regiment from seven to ten battalions; as also the Bill for extending the provisions of the Act of the 46th of the King, to serjeants in the militia. He also brought up the Bill, for enabling his Majesty to accept of the voluntary offers of the local militia, for an extension of their services to a time to be limited; and a Bill for amending the 51st of the King, with respect to the interchange between the militias of Great Britain and Ireland.
These several Bills were read a first time and ordered to be committed to-morrow.

HELLESTONE ELECTION.
Mr. Banksmoved the second reading of the Hellestone Election Bill. He then proposed, that the blank in the Bill respecting the amount of freehold which should give a qualification to vote, should be filled up, by inserting ten pounds. He argued at some length on the great depreciation of money since 40 shillings was the qualification for a vote; and thought it was only bringing back the constitution to its original principles, to require such a qualification as would place the elector above the necessity of corruption.
Mr. Swancontended, that the effect of such an alteration would be to disqualify the many who were the furthest removed from corruption, and give the elective franchise to those who were the most corrupt. It was notorious, that in Cornwall it was among the most opulent that corruption had taken the deepest root, and established itself into a system. He believed that there was not a peer in Cornwall who did not hold his rank from corruption of this sort. He was sure, however, that the effect of such an alteration would only be, to transfer the borough to one or two peers who could decidedly influence the few ten-pound freeholders to whom it was proposed to give the right of election exclusively.
Mr. Grenfellpreferred the qualification remaining at 40 s. to its being altered to 10 l. At the same time, he did not mean to allow, that all the peers in Cornwall owed their rank to corruption.
A long conversation then took place, in which Mr. Tremayne, Mr. Lockhart, Mr. Rose, Mr. Serjeant Best, Mr. H. Summer, and other gentlemen, took a part. It ap-
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peared to be the general sense of the House, that it was better to retain that which was the common qualification required all over England.
Mr. Bankes's amendment was then negatived, and the blank filled up by the words "forty shillings."
On the second paragraph, Mr. Serjeant Best observed, that as the House, on account of the notorious corruption practised at this borough, thought proper to disfranchise the present electors, he thought it would not be right that the may or should be allowed to be the returning officer. In all elections, it was a matter of some consequence who was the returning officer. He thought the sheriff should be appointed the returning officer; and there would be no more inconvenience in his executing it by deputy, than the sheriffs of London found, who were also sheriffs of Middlesex; or than the sheriff of Cambridge did, who was also sheriff for Huntingdonshire.
Mr. Serjeant Best then moved that the clause be added to the Bill, "That the sheriff, or the under-sheriff of the county, should be the returning officer."
Mr. Swanwas in favour of the clause.
Mr. Banksthought it was not of importance to alter the returning officer, and was rather inclined to think that the mayor should continue to act in that capacity.
Mr. P. Grenfellopposed the clause.
Mr. Serjeant Onslowwas decidedly in favour of it.
After some observations, on the party Mr. Hammersley, Mr. Tremayne, and Mr. Lockhart, the last mentioned gentleman moved, that the part of the clause, empowering the under-sheriff to act as the returning officer, should be omitted.
Mr. Serjeant Besthad no wish to press that part of the clause, not conceiving it to be material to his object.
The words—"or under-sheriff," were then ordered to be left out; and the clause, "that the sheriff of Cornwall, for the time being, should act as the returning officer," was ordered to stand part of the Bill. The other clauses were then gone through, and (the House being resume) the report was ordered to be received to-morrow.

MILITIA SERVICE.
The royal assent was given by commission to the Militia Service Bill. Commissioners, the Lord Chancellor and lords Buckinghamshire and Walsingham.

CLERGY PENALTIES SUSPENSION BILL.
The Archbishop of Canterburymoved the second reading of the Bill. The persons to whom this Bill related were, 1st. Those who, having two livings, had omitted to notify to the bishop their non-residence on one of them. 2d. Those who had neglected to renew their licences in terms of the act of parliament. In regard to the first description of clergymen, the bishop had better means of information than any that could come from the party interested. If the two livings were in one diocese, he had obviously better means; if they were in separate dioceses, each of the bishops must know the fact, by communicating with each other. As to the other description of clergymen, in many cases, no doubt, the neglect had arisen from inadvertence, rather than from any culpable negligence. It could not be expected, that all clergyman should be accurately acquainted with all the modern laws by which they were affected; and many of them might think that they were protected by their former licences, without renewal. He should hope it would appear, that all of them, were of a nature which would free them from the imputation of culpable negligence. They were at times considerably embarrassed by the provisions of the several Acts. The Act of the 53d of his Majesty required, that before a licence was given, the incumbent must have nominated a curate to supply the living: six months was allowed by the Act for that purpose; and yet, from the nature of these laws, taken together, a clergyman might be obliged, in order to entitle himself to a licence, to nominate a curate instanter. Clergymen, however, who really wished to procure those for whose conduct they would be willing to become responsible, required some time to look about them, and examine into the character of those who applied for the situation. A remarkable instance of this had come under his own ob-
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servation, where the liability to penalty would be a peculiar hardship: if was that of an incumbent who was rendered unable to do the duty of his cure by severe illness, and who notwithstanding could not have a licence for non-residence until he had appointed a curate; for which he very properly required time to inquire into the character and qualifications of the person to be appointed, Yet this incumbent would be liable under the Act to penalties for non-residence. Of the informer in these cases he wished to say noting; this person had been secretary to the late bishop of London, and the present bishops of Norwich and Ely; and in that situation had ample means of fixing upon his objects, and rendering his success in suing for penalties certain. If it were possible to suppose, that any individual in such a situation were profligate enough, how easily might he, by his own conduct, nourish the offence, until it was brought to that height which would answer the purpose he had in view. He trusted their lordships, under all these circumstances, would consent to give time, as proposed by the Bill; and to suspend for a period the actions which had been thus commenced.
The Bishop of Chesterexpressed his high sense of the very favourable indulgence granted to the clergy on this occasion, by both Houses of the legislature. It was shewn, however, to a body of men who were not undeserving of it. The community was indebted to the exertions and example of the parochial clergy for not a few of those advantages which, in a temporal as well as religious point of view, it enjoyed.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed for Friday.
Lord Hollandpresented a short petition from Mr. Wright, praying to be heard by counsel against the Bill. The petition was laid on the table, and it was ordered that he be heard by is counsel on Friday.