8] 
House a proposition which would 
limit the Bank restrictions to a 
definitive period ; and as the no- 
ble lord’s arguments were found- 
ed on a supposition that the re- 
strictions would be continued to 
an indefinite period, it was scarce- 
ly necessary to enter at length 
into a refutation of them. He, 
however, proceeded to show that 
the information arising from the 
questions to be submitted to the 
committee would, more than any 
thing else, defeat the resumption 
of cash payments, and place the 
Bank at the mercy of every spe- 
culator in builion in the country. 
After considering some of the 
particulars of the proposed in- 
quiries, and endeavouring to prove 
that there was no necessity for the 
committee which had been moved, 
he stated the grounds upon which 
he thought it probable that cash- 
payments would be resumed in 
July, 1816. 
Inthe debate whichensued, con- 
trary opinions were, as usual, main- 
tained upon the intricate subject 
of the circulating’ medium and 
public credit; and some of the 
Opposition members expressed 
great doubts respecting the pro- 
bability of a resumption of cash- 
payments at the period assigned 
by the chancellor of the Exche- 
quer. In conclusion, the House 
divided, when there appeared, for 
the motion 38, against it 134. 
Immediately after this was dis- 
posed of, the House went into a 
committee for continuing the act 
of the 44th of his majesty, for re- 
stricting the cash-payments of the 
Bank of England. The chancel- 
lor of the Exchequer having mov- 
ed that the said restrictionsshould 
continue till July 5, 1816, Mr. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
Grenfell proposed theamendment, 
of adding the words “ and no 
longer.” This was opposed by 
the chancellor of the Exchequer, 
as seeming to limit the discretion 
of the House; and from his oppo- 
sition and the total silence of the 
Governor of the Bank, an unfa- 
vourable augury was drawn of 
the resumption of cash-payments 
at that period. The amendment 
was rejected by 92 to 35. At the 
third reading of the bill, Mr. Hor- 
ner proposed as an amendment, 
the insertion of a clause purport- 
ing, “ That whereas it is highly 
desirable that the Bank should, as 
soon as possible, resume its pay- 
ment in cash, immediately after 
the passing of this act, measures 
should be taken by the Bank to 
enable them to resume such pay- 
ments.” The latter part of the 
clause being objected to, the 
mover consented to withdraw it, 
and the first part was admitted. 
The bill soon after passed into a 
law. 
The attention of the House of 
Commons was called on. March. 
2ist to a singular circumstance 
connected with parliamentary pri- 
vilege.. Lord Cochrane, who was 
a prisoner in the King’s Bench, 
in consequence of a sentence pro- 
nounced upon him, for his con- 
cern in a conspiracy to defraud 
the public, and during his con- 
finement had been re-elected re- 
presentative for Westminster, hav- 
ing contrived to escape from pri- 
son, after remaining for a time 
concealed, went on the day above- 
mentioned to the clerk’s room in 
the House of Commons, where 
members are usually sworn pre- 
viously to taking the oaths at the 
table of the House. Being in- 
