Star. — London, England, 1824-05-04 00:00:00

9' l sure. He (Lord )Milton) could not help entertaining an opinion that the gallant Officer had some other interest than the landed interest in his view when he introduced the present motion. Colonel WOOD said, that it seemed the Honourable Member for Saltash would not countenance the mea• sure, if the railway were to pass through his estate. If he wanted the railway made, let him take all the disad vantage* of its! well as the advantages. It appeared that if the road passed through that Honourable Mem ber's property, it would be two miles less in reaching the sea than in passing the circuitous way it was pro posed. h was often an advantage, doubtless, in com panies establishing themselves to care on works; but if in the county of Durham there was no desire to receive the assistance of the Company which had been esta blished for effecting the proposed railway, it was compe tent for the inhabitants of that county to reject such aid. Mr. H. SUMNEIt spoke for the amendment. After a few words from Mr. Alderidan Daman, Mr. Cuawsw, Sir H. HARDING/4 Mr. Lirrtatoh, and Mr. P. Maas, the hiouse divided— For the original Motion For the Amendment 69 114 Majority for re-committing the Bill 45 A conversation on a point of form in the recommitment of the Bill then took place, in which Mr. CALcitArr, Mr. Lirrurrott, &c. took part. PRRNCII SQUADRON orr TUE BRAZILS. Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH, in rising to present a Petition, took the opportunity which this purpose af forded him of putting a question to .the Right Hon. the Secretary of State. He was induced to do so from the rumours which were prevalent of a French naval force having appeared of the coast of the Brazils.— Those rumours had spread to a considerable extent ; and as he (Sir J. Mackintosh) had reason to know, as well from public sources as from private information which had reached him, they had exercised a great influence over all the commercial classes of this country, by the apprehensions to which they had given birth, it was in the sincere hope that the answer of the Right Hon. Gentleman would remove those apprehensions, that he begged now to ask him, whether his Majesty's Govern ment had reason to believe that a French squadron had actually arrived off the Brazilian coast? And if they had, whether an explanation had been demanded and received by the Government as to the cause of the ap pearance of that force; and further, whether the reply which had been received was such as to confirm or to remove the alarm which had been occasioned by the ap pearance of the squadron ? Mr. Secretary CANNING had no objection to reply, as far as he was able, to the questions of the Honourable Member. It was true that a few French ships arriving from different destinations had reached the port of the Brazils together. The rumours which had got abroad in consequence of this circumstance originated, he be lieved, in the statement of some of the French Officers that they exrected more ships to join them in that port. He (Mr. Canning) had already demanded and received such an explanation as the French Ambassador resident here was enabled to give ; and from that explanation he had every reason to believe that the statement of the Officers, and the rumours which it had occasioned, were altogether false. He had also demanded an explanation from the French Government, and he had no doubt that the lapse of a few days would enable him still more satisfactorily to contradict the report which had occa sioned so much alarm. IRISH TITHES COMPOSITION BILL. Mr. GOULBURN moved the second reading of the Irish Tithes Composition Bill. Tue debate might be taken in a future stage. Mr. GRATTAN denied that the present was any improvement on the former Bill. It could only appear an improvement in the opinion of the Clergy. The Bill was most injurious to the landed interest of Ireland. He should move, on the second reading, that the Bill be read a second time that day six mouths. Mr. D. BROWNE would reserve his observations on the Bill to a future stage. Sir J. NEWPORT would suggest to the Right Hon. Gentleman to postpone the discussion to a future night. The Bill was anything but an Amendment of the former Act. Lord OKMANTOWN thought the new system had for its foundation the worst parts of the old. The new Survey of Ireland might be extremely useful in settling a Composition for Tithes. Mr. GOULBURN expressed his readiness to give every explanation which his responsibility as the mover of this Bill might be supposed to require from him : but the proper way to come at any such explanation would be to reject the amendment, and let the Bill go forward to a Committee, where it might undergo im provement. He did not deny that several of the clauses might admit of modification—that which requiued the production of papers and titles was particularly fit for such deliberation. As to the question of oaths, and the penalty of £lO, he would not absolutely insist upon that very modification of the clause : but if any others were to be adopted, it must be suggested by the House when resolved into the Committee. This might be an insuffi cient remedy, as it was asseited by those who held the same language towards his Bill of last Session. With ' regard to the last named Bill, he had the satisfaction to know that it had generally operated in a satisfactory manner ; and, whatever might be said of it, he had at least the satisfaction of knowing, that the country looked up to it as the only sure measure of relief—thanks to the generous support and intelligence with which it had been received. He justified what he had dune by the triumphant success which had followed. As to that particular clause which had been denominated " the trap clause," though it did by no means deserve so odious an epithet, it was only inserted to prevent the successor from suffering through any fi and or contri vance in compositions made with the preceding incum bent ; and he defied Honourable Gentlemen to produce an instance, in ninety parishes, where any inconvenience had been incurred therefrom to the payers. He con gratulated himself on having so entirely overcome the difficulties which opposed him in the nature and pro gress of the Bill; and exhorted the House to reject the amendment. Sir JOHN NEWPORT objected to this Bill, because it was an aggravation, instead of an amendment of the evils in that of last Session. He did not mean to object generally to the principle of amendment ; but he was decidedly adverse to a Bill which, professing to be an emendation of a former one, was anything but what it professed to be. The only way in which, as it appeared to him, it was capable of receiving any amendment would be, as a first step, to omit every word it at pre sent contained, except the preamble, and to substitute in the place of the clauses it now presented, others that should be really effectual to meet the evil complained Of. The Bill trent to shut out the landed proprietors of Ireland from any inlluence, comparatively speaking, in the vestries which sere to regulate the proportion of tithes that their lands were to pay to incumbents ; so that a large class of the peasantry would be dealt with in any manner the incumbents of the livings in which their parishes were situate might think proper. Occu piers of lands upon leases only would be, in many re spects, in a far better situation, as to the right of voting and interfering at such vestries, than the landowner. He (Sir John Newport) protested against it altogether, as a most unjust and unwise measure. Mr. Secretary PEEL thought most of the arguments of the two last Hon. Members would have been with greater propriety offered at another stage of the Bill, namely, the third reading, or in the Committee. His Hon. niend (Mr. Rice), if he would allow him to call him so, had said, that in many instances, the parties to compositions under the Bill of last Session had been entrapped into arrangements, or had acted inadver tently. Now the number of these instances, it must be allowed, would be in a great measure determined by the number of appeals to the Lord Lieutenant in council.— There were 90 pstances in which such agreements or compositions had taken place and been confirmed ; and only five in which appeals had been asserted to the Lord Lieutenant in council; so that five per cent. was the sum total of dissatisfaction in Ireland with theocera- turn, as far as it had gone, of the Bill of last Session. The Right Hon. Gentleman then expressed his convic tion that the subject of this Bill required the most se rious consideration; but conceiving that every alteration would be most properly suggested in the Committee — that the Bill was in principle most beneficial ; and that it would be an unexampled thing to deny the second reading of a Bill which went to amend an Act that it was on all hands agreed required amendment, he should support the original motion. After a few words in explanation from Lord Oxm A N TOWN and Mr. GRATTAN, the amendment of the latter Gentleman was withdrawn; the Bill was read a second time, and committed for Friday next. L imA dk CUSTOMS, COALS, AND LINEN DUTIES BILL. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER moved the recommitment of the Customs, Coals, and Linen Duties Bill. The House resolved itself into the Com mittee, and he then moved to correct an error in the Bill, to make the Bounty on Linens cease on the sth of July, 1825, instead of 1824, as it now stood in the Bill. Mr. S. RICE had no hope to alter the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, now that the prin. ciples of free trade were so much adopted ; but if the linen manufacturers were as near him as those of silk, he had no doubt but that the Right Hon. Gentleman would change his opinion, and not destroy a trade which in many parts of Ireland was still in its infancy. If he could hope to succeed, he would move a more distant date for the ceasing of these bounties, and he trusted the Right Hon. Gentleman would grant them two or three years longer. In several places the sales had fallen from 1,000/. a-week to lets than 2001. Mr. D. BROWNE lamented that the Ministers and people of this country knew so little of the state of Ire land. It was lamentable to hear the first Minister of the State saying, in another place, that there was no export of coarse linen from Ireland. That was the species of manufacture upon which the greatest amount of bounties was paid. It was a breach of national faith to disturb the linen trade of Ireland, which had been guaranteed to them when the woollen trade was taken from them by this country. He feared, however, that all he could say would not be able to stop this measure ; but if the House knew the ruin that this would bring on Ireland, they would not agree to the present proposition ; but, upon another occasion, he would bring forward his oppos:tiun to it in another shape. Sir 11. PARNELL thought the fair way was to look what advantage these bounties would be of to Ireland, because it was too much the habit in that country to look with dread at any alteration in existing things Foreign yarn was not allowed to be sold in Ireland, and therefore the Scotch and English manufacturers could excel them in making coarse linens. There was no manufacture in any country from which the people en gaged in it received so little wages, in proportion to the extent of the trade. If any encouragement was to be given; in his opinion, it ought to be to the cotton manu facture of Ireland ; he therefore should oppose the pro position of the Member for Limerick. Mr. C. HUTCHINSON differed in opinion with the Honourable Baronet, and contended, that the condition of the people engaged in the Linen Manufactures of Ireland had been bettered by it. In the county of Cork 60,000 pet sons were interested in the continuance of these Bounties ; and he begged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to pause before he took those Bounties away, which had had an almost magical effect on the people of the West and South of Ireland. The Right Honour• able Gentleman was not acquainted with the distress of Ireland, or he would grant them the continuance of those bounties for two years at least. Colonel FRENCH thought it unwise to run the risk of destroying the linen trade of Ireland by the discon tinuance of these bounties in support of a general system of free trade, which no one could deny the justice of, lie therefot e hoped the present measure would be post poned for three or four years. Mr. I)AWSON said, the linen-manufacturers of the North of Ireland were unanimously of opinion that the discontinuance of the bounties would have no effect on the Irish linen trade. There was linen manufactured in Ireland to the amount of two millions sterling yearly, and the bounties amounted to 90,0001. which would be reduced only 9,0001. a year. He was astonished at the observation of the Member for the Queen's County, that the linen manufacture was productive of no good to Ireland. Did he not know the order and civilization in those parts of Ireland where it was carried on ? Mr. D. Buowsz explained. Mr. HUME believed that the bounties would be a benefit to the consumer of the article, and not to the manufacturer. The amount proposed to be taken off was so small, that it could produce no hurt to Ireland equal to the doubts and fears that had been urged against this measure in Parliament. Their object should be to dismiss and dispel the doubts and fears which seemed now to be entertained, for he was quite satisfied they were much exaggerated. Mr. ROBERTSON urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to continue the bounties for sometime longer, in order that Ireland might not be placed in a worse si tuation than she was at present. The amendment of the CIIANCILLIAtt of the EXCHIQUER, and other verbal amendments, were agreed to. In answer to some observations from Mr. Alderman Wools and Mr. Hume, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought him possible to take off the duty on small coals without injury to the Revenue. Mr. T. WILSON wished the matter left to the discretion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Alderman WOOD said, there could be no difficulty in carrying this measure into effect, as all vessels having small coals on board were obliged to be certified as such. The large coals would be less used ; and the other, when mixed with clay, would be advantageous to the poor.—The Report was ordered to be received to-morrow. The Report of the Rum Duties Bill was brought up, the amend nants agreed to, and the Bill to he read a third time to-morrow. The Sheriffs of the City of London presented a Petition from the Corporation of London, praying to be allowed to bring in a Bill to borrow money at £4 per Cent.—Referred to a Committee. The Order of the Day for the second reading of the Hides and Skins Bill was read. Mr. DAVENPORT opposed this Bill as highly injurious to the Leather Trade. If this Bill was passed into a law, not a Petition presented to the House would have a whole skin. He moved the second reading this day six months. The House divided.—For the second reading, 27 ; Against it, 10. —Majority, 17. A motion was then made that it be referred to a Committee to consider of the propriety of repealing the Acts of the 43d and 44th of the late King, relative to the flaying of hides. The Report of the Sugar Bounties 13111 was brought up, the amendments agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. —Adjourned. THE EVENING STA It. LONDON. TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1824. THE FUNDS. STOCK EXCHANGE. TWELVE O'CLOCK. Consols opened this morning at 961 for the Account, and got up to 961 4, but soon after lowered again to 961 4, and fur Money 96i FOREIGN FUNDS. Ther is little doing in the Foreign Market this morning. Cur rent Prices : New Spanish 15, Old 171 to 18, Rubsian 97% to I. Chilian 874 to 84, Mexican Scrip Austrian do. 171, French 17 1 '; 18, Alliance Shares 16i to Greek sto 2, 2 , Colombian 90 ex. div. Coltrubian Scrip 5 to %, Irish Shares 1/ to 1, Paladiurn itol. l'lt ICE OF STOCKS AT ONE O'CLOCK. rank Stock 214.—S per tent. Reduced 95 5 / 8 IA 3 per Cent. Consols 90A 3 / 8 11 / 3 4 pc' Cents. Old 100 5 / 8 4 I:er Cews Assented 101% 3 / 8 3 7 8 3 / 4 I per Cents. New 108 5 / 8 3/4 1,4 liank.Long Arms. '23, '22 15.16 India Stock 229 1 h—India Bonds 30s. 31s. by.cl.eq. Bills (E 1,000) 505.495.511.—5ma11 495. 535. Consols tor Acct. 96 3 / 4 1 ,h 1 / 4 3/8. Lit,t night the house ul Commons resumed their la bon: s, atter a recess of more than usual duration. The business of the evening was of a very desultory nature, and principally consists of petitions for or against the many new projects now on foot, not only in the Metro polis, but in other parts of the country; and the gal lery, and passages leading to it, were crowded with persons interested in these l'i ivate Bills. Mr. CANNING was in the House so early as five o'clock, and M an , swer to a question from Sir JA NIES MACKINTOSH, contradicted the rumours so actively ciiculateJ as to the French armaments at Rio de Janeiro.— When the rumour was first mentinned we expressed our doubts as to the truth of the statement, which ap pears to have originated in the ob.:crvainn of a French Officer at Rio, that it was expected sonic of thcir vessels on that station would put in there. The Etoile of Sunday, in reference to these reports, has the following article : 4. The English Papers, on the fa;th of pretended letters from Rio Janeiro, have given currency in London to news from which it should appear that the French force on the Brazil station has been increased and raised to 18 ships. We can affirm positively that this news is without any foundation. The very terms in which it was coached would suffice to demonstrate the absurdity of it. The French force in those seas, which has not been augmented for several years, is only there to pro tect our commerce, and often even that of other na tions ; the late events of Pernambuco and Para have proved the necessity of it. The Colosse, which the Courier pretends is at this moment at Rio Janeiro, is laid up in ordinary at Brest. The state of these Colo. nies might perhaps call for an augmentation of the French force at these different points; but while we admit what it might be proper to do, we are bound to speak the truth as to what exists." Lisbon Gazettes to the 24th ult. reached us this morning. They are entirely silent as to the affaits of South America. The following are extracts: LISBON, APRIL 21. In the Supplement to our 88th Number, we commu nicated to the public the copy of a dispatch from Macao, dated the Bth of November last year, and of the Royal letters of the 16th of last month, addressed to the Reve rend Bishop of that city, with the measures which his Majesty had thought fit to order, for the purpose of re-establishing in that interesting part of his dominions the former good order, tranquillity, and prosperity, which had been impaired by the same disorganising spirit emanating from the faction which had cau,ed such troubles throughout the whole monarchy. We have now received a series of the Journal of Macao, called the Abelha da China, (the Bee of China), from the 27th September to the Bth November last year. The Editor of the Gazette of Lisbon proceeds to ob serve, that this Macao Journal, though published while the Constitutional System still prevailed there (the news of its overthrow in Portugal not having reached that remote colony), is distinguished by a moderate and be coming style, which proves the inextinguishable loyalty and subjection to the laws which always distinguished the Portuguese character. From the 16th of February, he says, when the bases of the Constitution was accepted, the bonds of social order were dissolved by the rapid and continual inno vations introduced and the relaxations of all due re spect and Eubmission to the authorities. The Editor then makes long extracts from this Macao Journal, which are continued in the next Number of the Lis bon Gazette: The first extract is from an article headed the Phi lanthropist of Macao, in Nos. 56 and 57 of the Abelha of Ilth and 18th of October. It appears from the articles that it was on tie 16 h of February, 1822, that the inhabitants took the t ath to the Constitution which was then forming in Brazil. The writer shews that the Government which at that time existed, did everything to promote the introduction of the Constitution. and was Therefore to be considered as confirmed by the Decree of the Cortes of Ifith April ; yet, notwithstanding this, on the 18th August twelve cr thirteen men, calling themselves Procurators of the p ro . ple of Macao, succeeded in overthrowing. the exiitip 7 Government and establishing a new one. The writer severely condemns the measures of thi s new Government, and says, " If any of you, my dear countrymen, have hitherto been deluded by titose mies of the general good, let them now open their cy r ., and see that this actual Government is opposed to t. Constitutional system, and consequently useless, dangerous, and despotic." He advises therefore, to avert the total ruin of their country, in al .. plying to the legal authorities of the great Po: tuguese family, and especially to those which are the nearest, namely, the Government of Goa. From the succeeding extract, it appears that the new Government having imprisoned many persons, and banished others, some of the latter Leached Goa, and by their representation s of the state of things at Macao, induced the Governer to dispatch the Salamander frigate, which appeared tiff Macao on the 16th of June, where it was received as an enemy, and the persons holding the Government of Macao continued to prejudice the Chinese against th e frigate, so that all intercourse with it was sti icily plo itibited. In this state it rernait:ed for two months, so that the crew became short of provisions, and t% ere en. tirely destitute of medicines for the sick. Some rebel' was, however, procured for the frigate, by means of a Counsellor Arriaja, who was one ut the raso;s banished, and was then at Canton. At length a Chinese boat was proc►:red, which was -ent to Macao with a Lieutenant tioricriguez on bo;trd, who was ordered to endeavour to find some means Of obtaining a supply of provisions in which he succeedeJ ; he repaired to the Senate, where he was strictly ques tioned. Paulino and Gomez, the two chief Men►iie►r of the illegal Government, remcnsti wed with him on the refusal of the captain of the higate to recognise their Government, and the independence which he shewed respecting the provisions of which acy kne:v he was so much in want. The answers of the officer were so prudent that be coming known in the city, many of the principal iidia bitants were encouraged to think of means of shaking off the yoke of this illegitimate Government ; and d.c officer, on his return to the frigate was able to give the Commander hopes of seeing order restored in Nl.rcair by the exertions of the citizens. The Captain thus en couraged, and the Chinese having been rendered layout . able by the representations of the abovementioned Ai riaya, a Chinese Juuk was obtained, in which the Lieu unatit was again sent on liore, where he made at r,mge ments with two deputies from the citizens (who shew•ed him a paper signed by many of the inhabitants) lur landing some troops. The plan was put in executiou on the night of the 22d of September ; when, though some circumstances appear to have excited str spic;ou in the Government, and some delay and misunderirdiric., arose from some mistake about the signals that had been agreed upon, the enterprise was happily accomplished without bloodshed. The Chief of the rebels, Paulioa, was taken asleep in his bed, and on the 23d, the lawful Government re-established. Prince LsopoLn dined with the Duchess of Kerr, on Sunday, at her residence at the King's Palace, Kensington. The Princess SoPrim of GLOUCESTER, and a select party, dined with the Princess AUGUSTA yesterday. Yesterday, the Duchess of GLOUCESTER, and the Princess -FOTHIA, visited the Princess AUGUSTA. At the Cabinet Council held yesterday at the Foreign Office, there were present, the Earl of Dynamos., the Earl of WESTMORELAND, Mr. Secretary Past, Mr. Secretary CANNING, Earl BATH con ! the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, Viscount Mer.vrms, Mr. WYNN, Viscount SIDMOUTH, &c. This afternoon, at two o'clock, another Cabinet Council assembled at the Foreign Office, in Downing-street, s tiich was attended by the same Noblemen and Gentlemen who ware present yesterday. Yesterday, Prince POLIGNAC, the French Ambassador, transacted business at the Foreign Office, in Downing-street, for a considerable length of time. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY'S first public dinner on Saturday, at Lambeth Palace, was attended, amorg other distinguished personages, by The Duke of Beaufort, the Duke of Montrose, the Rirl of Shaftsbury, Earl Nelson, Lord Louvaine, Lord ridport, Lord Sydney, Sir Claudius Hunter, Sir John Nichols, the Bishop of St. Asaph, the Bishop of Sock'. and Man, the Dean of CanterbutF, the Dean of Peterborough, the Rev. Mr. Andrews, the Rev. Mt. Smedley, Mr. Courtenay, Mr. Strachey, &c. Yesterday, being the Anniversary of the Return o the Royal Family of France to Paris, Prince POLIGNAC gave a sumptuous dinner to his MAJESTY'S Ministers and the Foreign Am bassadors to this Court. A most splendid suite of apartments wen thrown open on the occasion. The Marquis of ANGLESEY entertained the Earl of LoNsnAxe and a large Party to dinner yesterday, at his house IL Old Burlington-street. T. W. BEAUMONT, Esq. M. P. has purchases the Bead estate for X 23,000. Eight hundred and thirty pounds are subscribed to wards the expense of erecting a monument, or cairn, to the me mory of the brave Sir THOMAS PICTON. Miss CLARA FISHER has obtained a prize of thirteen hundred pounds sterling in the present Lottery. Brigadier•Genei al Sir CHARLES MACARTHY.—.-The loss of this worthy man is universally regretted.' As a public chars:- ter he was respected and beloved by all who knew him. He was about forty-eight years of age, about six feet high, and rather cor pulent. He was knighted on his return from Africa, in 1821, and appointed Governor-in-Chief of the British Settlements on rl , e Gold Coast, an appointment which has proved so fatal to him. 11:: was a native of Ireland. Saturday, Lord CRANSTOUN, now in his 15th year, came to town on a visit from Harrow school. Riding in the even ing in Ilyde Park, on a spirited horse, the animal took fright mei ran away with bins. After running a considerable distance. hi' Lordship was thrown, and unfortunately fell upon his head. was dreadfully fractured. He was immediately taken up and tied to St. George's Hospital, Hyde Park corner, whence he subsequently removed to his Aunt's, Stanhope-street, Mayfair. Lordship is considered, by the Professional Gentleman is anted ante, much better than could have been expected after the scrieo injury he sustained. *Madame VEsritts retires from Drury-Lane Tneatre after the pre,em sta•on. Mrs. Wavt.err, of the Adelphi is engaged by M;. 1 LtliTON for three years, to perform the huanos hitherto a .ottesi to Madame VEserats, at a salary of Xi() per ne-lt for the firs, £l3 istr week for tie second, and Xl'l per week fur e th:rtl .~1