Star. — London, England, 1816-02-02 00:00:00

. • " • , &testiest% colorised vt:ltlan lit il l • for our investaga - • t'on but allusions :have i re • • of de to tic s ize ,s 4 the country, . which it is! ma sil e nd re enue, ence. The p is ros perken ous; ro ok to pe , s over in spo ,ofthe arts , commerce, the Addiess ; but we are yet to learn whether 1 ~i agrieultere i s included. The Right 1 wor -Gentleman had recognised the depression of a id % role gist s oft t he ,fiociety, very consfderable o Jes s than ibe agricultural interest of Eng- But, the assertion in the Address binds the ~ nothing ; it is one which should. naturally r a from those by whose counsels the nation has " t weed to its present condition. But great portion is the responsibility of those who, l ig put such an assertion into their master's' s, will be compelled early in the Session to It oel ietlee, that the bankruptcies had been fre-; It and extensive, 'I not in those places nun' tely connected with our foreign trade, yet s t in the home marker, in that market which I , o oe etclusively supported, by the landed in if after seeing shops empty and without cut . hots covered with debts, of which not the pet will be liquidated—if, after victories *such n eer dared to expect, after dictating peace to work', yet, notw:tlittanding all this, being in a deressed state than in 1810, we should inquire caus e, if is asked how it could be otherwise ? A se dlords receive no rents, how can they pay if from the prosperity of our trade be taken w og part, comprising our whole domestic 0 1 which foreign commerce is but the orna f, w all weight of responsibility must attach , o t ters who could advance so large an as oae part of the Honourable Baronet's ch itulocei some little satisfaction, as it respects eureerous Treaties which have been lately con d, He has contrasted the Utrecht Treaty, in • England made a most improvident bargain, g all the advantages of Marlborough's victories Godolphin's counsels, with the late ones. The ag WAS very creditable to the feelings of the Bu rble Baronet, and from - the tone in which he has of it, I have been induced to hope that a ty has been concluded with Spain and Portu the only Slave Traders, to forego that infamous , which, in consequence 14 Bonaparte's reso , has been abolished in France. I. hope that tie present Treaties we not only have not ob. an Atsiento 'Trade, which would, perhaps, 1 . felony, but that the King of Spain has compelled to terminate that crying evil, h, next to the persecution and butchery of own subjects, outrages liiimanity—(Hear, hear.) . c~tthat ;that contemptible tyrant—contemptible every thing but in the portentous power he un posscises of doing evil—the tyrant who rhos the brave men to whom be owes the one wl.ich he so unworthily fills—whose slightest ce is the usurpation of his father's rights— who ant nay the greatest slave trader out of Europe, the greatest slave master and maker within it-- nit that we will neither supply him with slaves, 't I before observed would be a felony, but that will be compelled also to abandon the traffic him . I shall feel the bitterest disappointment if olit the 60 or 70 treaties will not secure -this object, •Wally *tier the speech of the. Hon. Baronet. Chancellor of the Exclseqiter, , no doubt, reserves selffor thatflouris!ling state of gie finances which' Webers promise.!, and agree ou his word to. bask Set oven hese we have already experieit— • no sligit disappointment, that, after hearing from Hon. Memberl Hr. Methuen) of the dissolution the spell of Europe's degradation, and that the .ten's rod had been broken, we sht.uld be told the Chancellor of the Exchequer ttfat one half the Income Tax., That unjust and tormenting , will still be continued. Was it for this re have fought the battles' of Europe ? Have splendid 'victories fed to this consequence ? must this burden, hoavy in itself, parti but • cts• distressing froin the mode of collecting it, be need—nn cynsequet sae,too, of the flourishing state the public revenues.? • If it were possible for the .try togs on, would we have been thus threat on the very first night of the Session But I that this hint will nut be lost outside these walls t our constituents, As many of us as have Con on—(Near, hear)—w,ll exert them.elves on this taut OeC4SIOII. I shall reserve myself for the ions po nts comprised in • the Speech, when they peon ,alicr occasions before the consideration of !Haw; but I .cannot help viewing the internal of the country with the same Anxious alarm as ; Item manifested by the Honourable Mrn:ber who Ned the Amendment. I feel that the House should Ige itself to the country to terminate the I,.ud•and complaints now universally advanced : but I lot klp hoping that another way will be sound meds. the distresses than those promised by the nt }lomat able Gentleman. He has, however, that we shall be relieved from some burdens-- w, from the litsocelfor of the Eschequee.)— r. diallipoinoment is then the greater ; for I flatter:- 114 w with having caught at some vague capres. eeich I - construed into a premise of that nature. date we then ,to understand, twat at the vet y m 9 -1 "elm, to use a common expression, grain is a lin the market—that the war-tax on the malt 'sal be continu e d—that .no reduction will be , tad in any of those impositions which were con. aually imposed during the war ? 1 hope that thv w.ll not separate this night,. without seeing le limber more verssitt in she subject than my. Rise notice of a motion relating to it.. There 1114 7 other cireumstaaces connected with the hal concerns niche country, and which press with qui severity on the landed.interest, that demand 4 %6 The immediate interposition of farliament.— lims preventing agi iculturalists from exporting itsiderable part of their staple produce, for the Hairy advantage of some less considerable class i cietYi require revision. The usury laws arc cou ld', unjust, and have been unanswerablY proved If Sir Francis Bating, in 0113 House, about sixty !since, a n d yet they still continue .to•fetter the dal commerce of the country. There is no one act of which the Agricultural classes have more eto comphin, than the existence of these laws. Ilaresmt difficulties might have been considcrahlY l icked, had it been possible to raise money at any approaching to die legal rate of interest.; but the h laws prevented that, and the interest was in tg au ova whelakins degree, in proportion tc die dais* attending else lenclet.. A mearefftal buifedi of the poors' tatei should be "efFeded ;: t = seat the weight altogether opFesses the 'land- I ought to apolOgise to the Hpusefor thus occupying its time, but the hopeless tone of the Right lion. Gentleman opposite, induced me to enter into the subject; and I cannot even yet teratinate, without alluding to the economical arrangements promised by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. fa the existing circumstances of the country, it would be a robbery, a cruel aggravation of the general distress, if we did not ascertain the smallest. possible• amount at which, consistent with our honour and security, the expenses of the nation may be liquidated t if ft:wt., islands be accepted by treaty, for the sole rile wise of supporting establishments, placing new clerks to increase the patronage and power of Govern. ment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer desires, that in the investigation of the estimates we should , examine then by detail ; this I readily premise him . to do, and I believe I mey undertake' a similar en gagement foe my. friends at this side the Meuse-re, (Hear, hear.) —Nothing is more our object than to enter into such an inquiry. We would not value the estimates in the mass at the paper which comprised , them. The proposition we have to solve is the mi. &mum of expense, and that we will investigate in every department and class of society, from the Prince to the peasant."—( Hear, hear.) J Lord MILTON rose to express his assent to the Addressesas containing all that was necessary on the present occasion. The time would soon arrive when' the House should speak to the nation, not by wore' and addresses, but by acts. The Noble Lord ob etted to the Amendment as proceeding too ter, and holding out pledges which it might' not be the power of the House to redeem. Speaking as an indi• vidual, he hoped that by proper attention, the burdens of the people might be relieved by oilier means than those mentioned by the• Chancellor of the Exchequer. Allusions had been made by the Right Hon. Member to the eleveted.station now enjoyed by this country. What secret meaning the Ministers may attach to this expression was to be explained; but if by it was understood that England should become A great mili tary power, and as such compete with Russia or Aus• • • ma, it would be impcssible for her to meintain her liberty. The Noble Lord observed, that he alluded to this particularly, because he understood that a love for the military strongly manitested itself in a peculiar quarter. He hoped that the Honourable baronet who moved the Address would, on a future occesian, concur in establiaing a system of economy suited to the state of the country. • He now learned, ter the ,first time, that Ministers resolved to continue the In come Tax. Last year it was asked for the purpotw of winding up the expenses of the war; bet the Coate cellor of the Exchequer had not as yet condescended to inform the Hause whether he vomited it for that purpose, or to meet the general contiugencies. The Address he considered to be extremely meagre, be cause the Speech here a similar character. Tire people were left generally in the dark respecting the real state of the country. He not Mean to say that the people were actually uninformed of the Tree. ti es lately concluded, but that the Ministers never 'published authentic copies of them in the Gazette, and it was, he believed, from the Rhenish Novae" the they had been chiefly obtained. In commending the peace, it should be considered in reference to the du• inability of it, and the gearentees by which it was se cured ; the time was not conic for examining it by those stond;rds ; but it would not,perhaps, be found, on cemparison, that our laic negotiators should be esteemed superior to those who conducted the Treaty Of Utrecht, to which some allusions had been previ ously niade. • Mr. PRESTON alluded to the,distressed state of the agricultural interests of the country. He said that the weight of taxes which oppressed them was twice their amount. He recommended a revisal of the entire system. to which be thought the House should pledge itself, and, in consequence, he voted for the Amendment. Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY observed, that how. ever tin eilling he was to discuss at that reply period the question of our foreign peticy. lie could not, in consequence of the speech of the Chancel: rr of the Exchequer, suffer the House to separate, and construe his silence into an approbation of the principles which had been asserted.. He would concur with the Honourable Baronet in appreb.uion of the peace, and lament, with him, the continuance of his Me jesty's illness ; but he would deprecate the concur rence of the House in the new *system on which Mi. sisters had begun to act. The system was new. in as much as Ministers had, not long since, ohs. avowed the principles on which it was established. —They had declared that war was Made personally with Bonaparte, and had protested against compel ling France to receive any 'particular Government.— But since Parliament separated, new principles were avowed.' A British army, had been sit= employed, tend wits even now employed, 'to preserve the Beur bous on the throne, without any regard to the feel ings or wishes of ate people. Ini ouch measures. he never could concur. Perhaps Ministers may defend their dereliction of prin:iple ' on the ground of a change of circumstances; but however such a change may induce them to' alter their measures, it never could justify them. He would recall the solemn man • l in in which their protest had been delivered, he would serve where it had been repeated tor the Allied Save ! reigns, in a letter from. Lord Clancarty to Lord Cai• ‘ tlereateli. When Bonaparte, after his resumption of , power,demanded peace, his request was transmitted to the Allied Sovereigns. and in their name Lord Chanel cat ty.while declaring theirrefusal of the request, trans. mitted the assurance of their not interfering in the in. ternal Government of Emile. This be would read, to thew at how late a period such a resolution was enter. tained.—tHere the Right Hon. Member tead as ex.' tract from the letter alluded to, which 'substantiated his assertion.)—He proceeded to chew that the same principles were still practised up to the C os trention of Sc. Cloud, when Boissy srAnglas and others, de. puted by.the two Chambers, waited -on Lord Wel. lingten to conclude the Convention. In a converse• tion which then took place, some allusion was made to the probability of raising come .yousiger branch of the ilourbon family to the theme, and :the Noble Duke observed, that it was competent for the French nation so to act, but 'het greater securities would be required trot* a lounger branch than. from Louis ; XVIII. The sabsequent e kandact 'of the Ministers was wholly indelonsittle r ilia4 he valid aol ;KW tip! - rof it. not of was the object our num.— _ to be attained ? Was, it probatsle that the a woeld • be of long continuance t Sad, could Abe expected; it was not founded in mutual good ,aith ; it was not—(Here Lord Castlereagh seemed to insinuate across the table, that the Right Hon. Member was entering into a discussion on foreign pa-, licit% which he had previously promised to decline.) ' ..;..•• the Noble Lord intimates by . a stgn, that I am .wandering beyond the bounds I had prescribed to myself; but I will only say, that the peace has left the sting. of hatted and revenge, from which no be. ueficent consequences can be expected." i Lord CASTLEREAGH rose, .;:e said, not with 1 a view to protract the debate, hut,to ''rate a tew ob servations upon the language held by some Gentlemen On the other side. That those ' Gentlemen might differ from him upon the merits of the late Treaty when laid before the House, and brought under dis cussion, he was prepared to expect, and he would al.' ways be disposed to treat any difference of opinion upon that or any other subject with deference and re spect, while he would be ready to enter into the' fullest consideration of any difficulty that affected the country. Bat hl could not on this occasion silently overlook the language of despondency which tie llouse had that night heard, especially from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Mr. Brougham) ; I nor could he forbear to animadvert upon the dispo. sition which the f - louse witnessed, to tiamf-r attack's .from the Ministers of Great Britain v:Iso were present responsible for their actions, and ready to defend themselves, to foreign it.lependent states, which, • whatever might be the system of their Governments (*nth which by the Tray, we had,, no right to later tete), were in amity with this coontry. (/leer 4ear.) This disposition to a b use foreign- Governments pro ceedod 'peehaps horn rt want ot materials to jndu!ge in the havourat system of abusing the Administration of th e Government of this country (hear, /ear, en Me 411kartnial side.) With respect to the Learned G:n. iletn.th's comment upon die Address, it was a miss take to state that that Address did not propose to pledge chi House to any thing. Tor without enter ing sato any consideration of the details of the here Treaty, which WAS to be reserved tor thealiscussion of :mother day, he mad not hesitate to say that the Address proposed to coogratuiate • the Throne upon the conclusion of a peso,: so gloriou; in all its charac ter, so iinport.tht in all its results, and so satisfactory in the accomplishment of all the great objects of the war, as this country had never before witti.:ssed. Then, is to tte despondency upon which the Learned Gen tleman dwelt, lie would ask; where was the justifiabla I ground for such gloomy tones ? That some change should take place in the situation of any enemy, and especially in a community whose interests were so complicated as those of Great Britain, upon a transi tion from war to peace. WAS naturally to he expected. But the change which this country had witnessed from the late peace, was different, widely direrebt indeed, from that which most have resulted from any of the Treaties which Gentlemen on the other side so eagerly pressed •Gtivernment to conclude at different periods of the war. He agreed with his Learned Friend (the Chancellor of the 4xchetpier) up in ,the importance of considering our internal situation, but he law no. thing kr that situation to create dismay, much less that 'despair %high some Gentlemen seemed aitai:tus to excite. It was imp o ssible to conduct t.se country, trom a war so pec u liar in its nature, and so pro. longed in its duration, to *a state of peace, without resperiaacing an astraordinary -change... Ti le Ai e r r tran sition to peace from the prosperity of the war, for the war had been productive ot unexaaspled properity tit every branch of our trade and commerce, non-. give -birth to very material alterations. The transport of industry and capital, from the circumstances of war, to the new situat i on into which the country had enter. ad, must occasion results, such as every thinking man, aware ut the consequences attendant upon any •c , %uistry, in passing from war 0 peace, was prepared .to expect. Bat still the etr:cts of tl:e , change that aff:cted this country were extremely exaggerated by the Learned Gentleman— (Hear. ) —!de teas aware that the distresses ot the cousin), which be was not disposef to dispute. should be fairly stated to Parii trona, in order that they might be fully considered, and every practicable remedy applied.— It was ory against the exaggeration of these dis, tresses that he protested, and he contended that thee were not such as to excuse any attempt to damp the congratulation which sit was proposed to offer to the throne; upon'the claw of a war distinguished by a degree of energy, exertion, and glorious achievemeut on the part of the country, far exceeding that which belong: sl to any war in which we had ever been en gaged.( Hear, 4.ar) T r 1313 t when Gentlemen would dispose Liu: House to a gloomy view of the state ot the country at present, be would ask them to turn their attention to, and compare its circumstances at the close of any former war. Let them look, for in stance, to our condition at the termination of the Ame rican war, Could the speech horn the throne of that. day,congratulate Parliament upon the prosperityot any branch of our commerce, manufactures, or revenue ? What a contrast then did the speech which the House . had . rhat day heard, afford for the satisfaction of Par liament and the country 1 For thAt speech congra tulated Parliaraeqt upon the flourishing state of our commerce, inanufactArex and revenue. Any failure or decay was indeed enly-to be witnessed in our agri. culture-.but even that branch, he ;rusted he isboold be able to prove, that the falling off' was owingiather to temporary than to permanent pauses. The speech. certaioly omitted any allusion to the Arts, which were, oo doubt, drawn on by the Learned Gentle man, merely for the purpose of amplification. .But whatever were the dit4tulties of the Country* be 'fring e d. the House would meet them with the same i temper- and manliness which distinguished its cots; duct under the pressure of all the calaMities - of war, and instead of indulging despondency, second the wisdom and firmness of his Majesty's Government* ie•providing for the permanent interest of the Em-1 pire. That every distress which disturbed t h e coun try was merely temporm7 4 and would be soon pie osedied,„be felt the fullest peasuasion. and that there I !o o ecf lround the f despondency ven moo satisfactorily A perevenue r win • uce of which furnished axmclosive evidence Iff! Ai means anerinaprariug otiources of the country. AOC sunder evidence was deducible from the account .of our awns and:imports. For hence it Appeared, that whilirthe export of our manufactures hi the year --1 :4"..in Qatobtr, Oa% unattaled -to 071100.000 afield value, which w Torylit k digerent Avis do real value, the esports_lor the yeereedieg ie . pelohee 1815, exceeded 4,42,1/00,00(i. Thus Our eeporte within the yeas bad advanced d'3400,000 I did tithe contrast furnish any grteeed for despondency ir gloom ? There had been soree falling off in tee sees, toms. but that ths6ciency was more thab covered by • • produce of the excise revenue, the et:imperative. increased amount of which, within the last quarter ending the sth of January. 1816, afforded Ainple. testimony in c'.ntradiction to those who alleged the general distrees of the country. For the produce of the Excise was a test of undiminished consemption. The war taxes also were steady in their produce. as the falling off on the whole for the .last year did not amount to £200,000. With these, such an extreordi. nary increase of foreign commerce, and such a proof of undiminished dorneetie consumption, he woield ask' again, where was the ground far sle.pouding gighely because our agricultterAl interests had received *Sine check, which he trusted would be soon removed? , With regard to the Property Tar, he assured the House, that he in concert. with eh his Majesty's Mi. nisters, would have felt extremely gild it that rex could have been altogether repealed ; but he hoped that Parliament and the public would not be dis posed to undervalue the reduction which it was pro. posed to make in that Tax. It would be rereelected that lot year the whole of this Tex was asked for with a view to enable Government to wind up the e xpenses of the war; but in coasequence of the rue. ral disposition against it, the Chancellor of the Es. chequer wee under the necessity of taking no less than it7.001,0u0 from that fund to which the cow,. try owed the eetablislimept of he greatness, end suste e nanze of itsluperith ity : the discussion, however, upon the continuance of any part .of the Preeerty Tax, would belong to another day. But, in the paean tithe. 'he thought it roper to state, that hie hisi jesty's Government did not feel itself minded frofn resorting to any other financiet measure, in licit e 1 the Property ! lax, should an improved price of tie Funds, and the general circuntatences ol ti a country, appear to justity the alternetive.—(Heer, ilea;.)-- But he hoped the House would sanction the eeselu. tioa which 11;s Majesty's Government had in ate wislom adopted, not to touch the Sinking Fund not to ioterfele with that wise system of finance, to which the country owed such important ohligatious. Such en intesference, indeed, could neer be deemed justiEable, unless called for by imperious virtues. stances. Alter repeating the grounds of congratu. latioq to which the Speech from the Throle adver. ted, and repeating his objections to the desponding language Urged on the ot h er s id e o f t h e H ouse , the Noble Lord stated the desire of his Majesty's Government, that the distress of the comic.y should be amply investigated, and every practicable relief alferded. But he hoped and masted, 'het among the means of relief it never would be pressed upon Parliament to withdraw tariltion hero any one breath of the cometenity, to the prejudice of the ge neral interest ; and in the Solicitude to mitigate or remove temperery distress, no measure would be adothed likely to reduce the resources necessary to sustain the permanent security and exalted rant of the &wire, and to enable u; to preserve the peace of the coetinent, which the glericeis exertion of Brie tish velem., and the judicious application of British resources, had so materially coneithited to este:deli. (lhar, bear.) Mr. HOItIZER. declared, that but for a single topic eoatained in the splrech of the Noble Lord who had just sat down, he should not have ethriideti him self on the attention of the rlouse. —in:wheel' as he understood diet this was not the meihrht at Which any controverted question was to be gone into. • The. Noble Lo:d, however. was TV:t ceetented in objecting el the observation of his lioneerahh: prima, rime the Address p!cdged the House to no opinioe, but wee; further, and contended that the Address did piedge the lious2 to the ()Haim, that the peace which had just been coecloJed was cats of the most glorious that lied ever been terminated by this country. For the purpose of mowing iguainin teat conclusion, he pretemed to trouble the House," :infer as he OCLlctstoOd . the /t e ddies.: to congretelate the Paiute Reheat upoa the termination of the war, and the coneittsion of the peace, as a peace, he was willin g to gn. lie was equally wil!iog to offer congratulations upon th e suc c ess o f his Majesty's arms, without retereoce to the causes of the war e and to admit that the milieu y glory of the country had arriyed at a pinnacle whirl; it bed never before reached. further he did not feel himself warrant. ed in going. la approaching the Throne. he did tact feel himself bound to concur in the sentiment that .a peace of which he yet knew but little, was !Wall, a glorious peace, althbugh he should be glad, on examinetioie that it should turn ous to be 5414 he etiuuld be glad to snd, shat this peace was euntistent with the true principles of English policy, end publ;e faith. The Weise was called upon to 1 auk with vi gilance, and with a jealous eye, upon the teeatie4 which fled brought the war te a conclusion ; bin until that vigilance had been eeerted, and until be had as opportunity of judging for himself, .he must be es ! cased it be did not concede tO the Nohle Lord time this was the most glorious peace which had ever been concluded by this country—(lyeer.) With respect to another topic,. too, he must reserve opinion until he received further tufortnetione he elleied to the cpcomethiAl wed internal situation of the country. .T.l hose points, he agreed, ought to be kept distinct from the qtiestign of peace. lie did trpst, however, tha t the holm would nos be called upon in adopt any new or experimental project; and that no re ' medy would be ;weeded to which WAS not of 4 per -.potent nature, and drsma from the true priiipplia of the ancient laws of the kingdom. He was induct" to make this observation in consequence of a sugges. ;ion trade by an Hon. raced of his (hdr.l3rougharo). One hettretlY alone, in his opinion, was cakuitted pert the circumsthneea of the country, and to afford the relief so necessary to its prohperity, and that was, the reduction of those taxes which Preesed upon the agrisdattal interests. In this be believed the real source (d evil -to adst.—(llow, • But bow was this reduction to take place fully agreed with the Noble Len!, that it would ,be impolitic to touch the Sinking Fund. Lie milted, for the sake of the Ismour e she character, and the crtdit of the country, that the faith of the Govorament..would, in this instance, be kept on broken. - and 1113iinfaired, Whatever ditheattas atifibt he sale* Upon to moil at a Wan ma, we . I