Star. — London, England, 1815-03-11 00:00:00

• merely met them m public plata to talk to dill*, tod deliver ful ()Pinions upon sobjeetv that they did lot understand. In this instance he would give his firmest applawo_ to' his Majesty's Ministers for the forts they 113 d made; and if he could at all dissent t orn their good, humane, and constitutional conduct, w 'night be inclined to argue that they had carried lAr humanity too far.—(Bear, hear.) if his house a j been attacked, he would instantly procure such nen , would place them in ambush, and defend it to , he utmost, regardless of the opinion of the Honour ,l,lc Bitonet or any of his Westminster constituents. 4 : vr,utld take his full share of unpopularity for any ;‘ ,,tent that might happen on such an occasion, and w ad only say, for the information of the Hon. Ba. cad and his constituents, that he would defend his ;of! :Is long as ever lie soul.(. Sir FRANCIS BURDE. VT—lt is not my wish o trouble the House at any length, more patticu- Ay upon what has been said regarding myself per. . n oly. I am desirous, i.owever,. to set myself right : :CI the Right Hon. Gentlemae . apposite (Mr. Ro ; I did not attach any blame to him indivi hilly, bat to the soldiers who were employed. I do (61ect to any nue who defends his house or his 3iflper: y, provided it be •done legally and constitu i should like to see every man to the me. rep lie armed and orgagiled to preserve tranquil .:y—btit I du object to :the interferen4 of the ..hliers, by which a military despetism, instead of a est i t utional defence, would be established. An l'.-nourable Baronet (Sir J. Sebright), obierved, that A police Magistrate had !Teen placed .at the head of noops, but duet this render the ,force at_ all hiss c ;itary or alter their character ? it • reminds me of a e pry 1 have heard regarding one of the Westminster Jections some years ago. The partisans of the dif -I..!ent candidates were organized Lite small bodies, .:mad with half-poles, the size of a constable's staff, with which they wci e able to do great execution, and $ )ffletimes even, I beliese, committed murders. They ee.:e under leaders who conducted them about the town, one of whom one day asked whether it would b et be better to have a little law on their side ? His wen .ltd not understand, and he proceeded to ex plain that what made a legal constable was a painted staff, and he asked them whether it would not be te:ter to have their half-poles painted like them ? S. , it is with the other side, who defend the intro. ihiction of the soldiery, by putting a Police Magi strate at their head, arguing by that means its mili tary character was changed. Thus, it is, that all constitutional modes of defence are neglected and fall into disuse. (No, no, no) Gentlemen may cry No, no, no, if they please, but are they ignorant that, ctnstitutionally speaking, such a thing es a standing siedier is unknown in this country ? What then was the proper and effectual mode of suppressing riots be. Lee our army . was employed against the people ? My object, therefore, is nut, as the Noble Lord is pleased to represent it, to overturn, but to restore the Cxnstitution Let the House recellect wbo it is that century to make this charge against me. Who says wish to overturn .the Constitution ? Why, the Noble Lord ahoy was himself detected in an act for which he ought to have lost his head. (Hear, hear, ad rex onfasion.) I say, that for that act the Noble Lordroaglit to have lost his head ; and by an uncor tupt liouir.it Commons he would have been im peached,.an.laieouldhave suffered. He was exposed traitickiqg in seat's in this House. The Noble Lord, anJ his friends. round %in's, isush ; .ho may laugh Lev ' secure in the protection he has received from en House ; but when. this heinous traffic was disco. teted,.you youirelf, Mr. Speaker,. stigniatized it as a raw practice, at which our fOrefathers would have eated , with horror aod fodignation, and yet the k , l;.e Loi,d waipaidiOnea, let it never be forgotten, lecauseitie,erime was as notorious as the sun at noon eay, and IRescaped. in the general mass of corrup t= and- delinquency. Yet the . Noble Lord, ad. tuitted to be guilty of this great offence, this direct attack upon the Constitution, now ventures to stand terward amidst the applauses of the House, as the uphol ier and supporter ; of that Cieistitti ton which he is .proved to have endeavoured to evertheow. (Hear, hear, /bear, aid great con(urion.)— I cannot approve of the public tumults, the breaking of windows, or of the unmanly. practice of attacking defenceless individuals, but still less do I approve of t r snore unmanly practice of letting loose an armed l.•ce upon an unarmed populace.—(Hear, Int I can bear with patience the charge of the Noble Lord, that I wish to renovate s the Constitution, be en* it has been. I am proud tee say, the whole ob i•tt of my lite. The Honourable Baronet has spokeo ti! Electors oF Westminster as if they were en filed in these deaurbances: he says that lie will de- Ed his house to the last apairiai my Constituents.— ta•he.mean to assert that the enlightened Electors 'I the important City of Westminster are guilty of Cese outrages ?—(Bear, hear, and lausker). I say, t a t no Member has a right to make such an asses.- t . .n, however obnoxious my Constituents may be to corrupt portion of this House. I have a right to it so -,-the Noble Lord was detected in disgrace ;aectices-1:.! was taken in the fact, and ex use '!' ~ s es ; that was only one instance of a consistent II oi profligacy. . .)? METHUEN spoke to order: the Honour lc Emmet was not warranted in asserting that the Ll'irts.• was a consist e n t s y stem o f pro fli gac y.—(H e a r .) The SPEAKER—The Honourable Baronet has r:eti ling enough in the H o u se to know that it is a .4 . 76 or its orders to use such language. >ir F..BURDETT--I do know it; and I wish . ..11 snit orders were acted up to in the House I • diataby assertion was rot only a breach of order ' l a breach of truth—(Order, order). H. SUMNER again spoke to order. He to know whether the Honourable Baronet (•:ed to have his words taken down t iir F. BURD,F.TT—It is a matter of indiffer. '''cr to nie- . ..the Honourable Member may do just •••• pleases. •41 . JOHN SEBRlGHTexplained, that-he did • r mean to cast any reflection upon the Electors of L,tininster ; he only alluded to certain persons , the Honourable Baronet was in the habit :scing in Palace-yard. F. BURDETT—The Honourable Baronet 7 11 4 be informed that the Householders of West. .''ter are the Electo rs . Th e N o bl e L or d h as n " d my arguments equivocal ; now I do not care straw whether the measure is or is not carried. " 4 1 only sorry that Gentlemen : if the country have intet s , ' staid that gil6ple have been deluded by it. He then brough t up t h e P e ti t iO n , - which %vas read and laid upon the table nieroax OF BONAPARTE. • ' Mr. WHITBREAD rose to ask the Noble Lord. whether he intended to lay the Convention entered into between this country and the allied Powers, at 'Chaumont, on the table ? In July lag the Noble Lord had promised that the Ratification, so met as it was concluded % should be forthcoming. In No vember, during his absence, it was stated, that the Ratification had not taken place, but that when the House met in Febivary it would certainly be pre. .duced. In February the Heim were again told it was not ratified. He therefore wished to know whe ther it was probable that the House would be put in possession of the Paper before Wednesday, as it was necessary for the discussion which stood for that day ? He would also take the liberty of asking whether a piece of information which he had heard this day, ' and which was of the greatest importance, was true,' namely, THE LANDING OF BONAPARTE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE ?•-••( Loud cries of Hear, hear.) Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, that therrcity or Convention had been ratified on the part of the three Powers interested, and would be laid before the .House on a future day. With respect to the other question, it M U true that Government had received an official communication of the fact of the I ending of Bonaparte in the South of France.—(Harr, hear.) Mr. WHITBREAD hoped the Noble Lord would lay the documents on the table before Wed nesday. The news which had just received the Noble Lord's confirmation, was indeed a surprise ; he hoped that Great Britain and the Allied Powers would stand - immaculate in respect to their plighted faith. Lord CASTLEREAGH was not inclined to re ply to the insinuations of the Hon. Gentleman. In respect to the paper, if it was Ant laid on the table by Wednesday, that would not embarrass the discussion, as the thing was ratified, and consequently the Hon. Gentleman could argue the same as if it was before him. It was likely, however, that the paper might be produced in its ratified form before then. Mr. WHITBREAD observed, that the money had been voted on the treaty, and the paper ought to be before Parliament. Mr. TIERNEY contended, that he had a right, under these circumstances, to demand the production of the paper, and the Noble Lord must produce it. Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, that the sort of language used by the Right Hon. Gentleman would not lead to an earlier production—his Majesty's Mi. nisters had received the confidence of Parliament and the public, and his language would not divert them from their duty. Mr. WHITBREAD insisted that the paper must' be produced. He was proceeding to discuss the ne cessity, when he was called to order. He then asked if any money had been paid in conformity with the stipulations of the treaty ? Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, that no money whatever had been paid. Gentlemen would there fore see the advantage of making Conventions. (4 laugh.) He hoped this intelligence would satisfy the Hun. Gentleman. Mr. WHITBREAD was sati:ficd. Intelligence so agreeable could not come too soon.--[The i-lon. Gentlemanhaving intimated his intention of proposing an Address, withdrew it, on the mist!' Ance of the Noble Lord that the Paper should be produced so soon as convenient.] 1 a 1 1 a ii 1 SLAVE TRADE. Mr. WILBERFORCE wished to know whether the Noble Lord : in the discussion on Wednesday, would state what had been done at the Congress in ' respect to the abolition of the French Slave Trade? Lord CASTLEREAGH assured the Hon. Gen tleman that he should, on that day, describe all the discussions which had taken place, both on that sub ject and others, connected with the general interests of Europe. Mr. PONSONBY observed, that if the documents were not before the House by Weenesday, he should enter his protest against giving any opinion. The subject was of such general importance that every document necessary ought to be produced. Lord CASTLEREAGH agreed that it could not be expected any Member should give an opinion without all the documents necessary to form that opi nion, were on the table. CORN BILL. General GASCOYNE presented a Petition from Liverpool against the Corn Bill, signed by upwards of 48.000 persons. I here was, he observed, great difference of opinion in the Town at first upon the Bill, but when it was found that the price wasto be SM. then but one feeling pervaded the whole of the town. The inhabitants met, and in the course of the day signed the Petition, and it arrived about an hour be fore the meeting of the House this day. The Peti tion was laid on the table. _ Mr. BARING presented Petitions from the parish of St. Mary-la-bonne, Plymouth Dock, and Taun ton. The Honourable Gentleman said, it had been well observed by a Friend, 44 that the Bill was driven so furiously through the House, that it was impossi ble for the mail to overtake it." Adverting to the observations of the Honourable Baronet, he dis claimed the imputations which had been thrown upon the opposers of the Bill, and conceived that they ap plied only to one Member in the House. The Ho nourable Baronet had talked of Ministers making the. Country Gentlemen a cat's paw. The reverse was the fact, for the Country Gentlemen had made the• Minister their cat's paw, but he could not• decide who would eat the chesnuts. The Honourable Gen. tleman made some further observations on general topics. Mr. BRAND deprecated the conduct of the Ho nourable Gentleman in connecting ether topics with the immediate question before the House. He had introduced every thing which was heterogeneous and contradictory in the same breath. Mr. TIERNEY rose to order, and put it to his Honourable Friend whether • such comments would not put an end to all debatlhg. Mr. BRAND maintained that the body of coun tryiGentlemen had been attacked, and it was to rescue them from the attack .that he rose. He concurred with the Hnnourable Baronet on the subject of reform. Mr. BARING explained. He had a right to ex press bis sentiments freely in the House on any ques tion which was brought forward; and he would now say, that slfould the Bill be palled this night, Ow l House would, keg more in the 0211w* . of the PeoPle., . ; • . thv it had Clone .ou any question whkh had 'evtsr come bsfore it, since he hid had the honour of a seat in it. The Petition was •hen brought up and received. Oe the order of the day.for the third reading of the Corn Bill being read, Mr. PROTHEROE said, haying already ad dressed the House nine times on this subject, he should not now detain them long ; he only rose to m iv' an amendment ; and in doirg this, althOugh he differed from the promoters of this meastue, he totally disclaimed intending to utter any thing tending to in flame the public mind, and more especially, as he be. lieved the moms of it were actuated by motives equally true with the motives of those who oppos..d it. He concluded by moving►, that instead of now, the Bill should be read a third time this day six months. FREEMANTLE seconded the motion. He objected to the measure, because it made no alters• tion in the mode of taking the average. He also thought, sufficient time had not been allowed for the expression of the public opinion on the measure. Mr. WILBERFORCE was in favour of the melt sure. He considered it necessary, to prevent the im port of foreign Corn beyond a certain extent, lest, by acting otherwise, we should so depress our own markets, that our own cultivators would be driven out of tillage; and, in consequence, our own pro duce would be so NV din►inisl,ed, as to render us wholly dependent on the Continent for a supply. If, indeed, .dl the Continent we-e under one and the same Government with us, it would not be very ma terial that we should depend on the Continent for a supply. He should then sly, let us be supplied from that quarter where we could get it cheapest ; but, as we were situated at present, it was politic for us to raise all we could ourselves. It should be recollected, that all those Powers from which it was said we should derive our supplies of Corn had recently been united with France against us, and might be soon so united again; and would the Honourable Gentleman put the interests, nay, even the existence of this coun try and its millions of inhabitants upon such a chance, by neglecting those means of providing for ourselves which an ALL-ORACIOUS PROVIDENCE had put within our power. An -Honourable Member (Mr. Baring) had said, that we might at present procure Corn from the Continent at 4.ss.—perhaps we might do so; but suppose this country was to become necessitated to draw all its supplies from the Continent, who could', pretend to say that the Continent, under such circum stances, would not make us pay double the sum.— He also considered that the agriculturist deserved some encouragement. If this measure 'was not car ried thousands would be thrown out of employ, to starve. The House ought to think that they heard the poor peasant calling upon them with a thousand_ tongues, and demanding that his interest should be attended to, as well as the interest of the manufac turer. It has also been said, during the discussion, that if this measure were carried, it would raise the price of corn to 80s. always. He saw nothing in the measure to make him think so. It was a measure that would certainly prevent corn being ruinously cheap atone time ; but it would also rrevent its be coming ruinously dear at another. With regard to the price, it should be fixed at such a rate as would give the agriculturist a fair encouragement to calti vate his land ; and this, he must confess, he had thought at one time would have been done by fixing the price at 765. Persons more competent than him self to judge had said that 80s. was pecessary ; and, under all the circumstances, he was of opinion we ought rather to fix the price a little too high than a little too low. For these reasons, he should, at all events, support the Bill. Mr. BROOKE supported the measure. Lord BERNARD was of opinion some protection should be given to the grower, though he thought Ms. would have been high enough for that purpose. He was convinced, however, that the measure, if it was adopted, would, instead of making the price of bread higher, only give it a more steady price. Mr. SMYTH agreed in the principle of the mea• sure, but considered Ms. as too high a price. Hr had always voted against that sum ; but now the time for opposing that sum was past, and the only ques tion now was, which would be preferable, 80s. or 635. and hers he had no hesitation is saying be pre ferred 80s. • Sir H. PARNELL had never yet proposed any plan going so far as was now proposed ; his proposi tion never went beyond 955. and Is. duty, and when at 80s. he proposed a duty of 15s. The Honourable Baronet then proceeded to defend himself against some misrepresentations which had gone abroad of what he had said ; he also observed, that the asser tion which had been made by the Lord Mayor at the City Meeting, namely, that the very agitation of this measure would raise the price of bread, was unfound ed ; as the very week atter he had made that asser tion, and at a time when the House had determined to adopt this messure, the worthy Chief Magistrate had declared, upon the returns made to him, that a, decrease should take place in the price of bread?— The Hon. Baronet contended. that had his proposi• Lions been adopted last Sessions, all the present evils would have been avoided ; and he now concluded by supporting the present measure. Mr. GORE LANGTON was decidedly against the measure. Mr. GRANT supported the Bill, considering that one of its effects would be to obtain for the public a regular market, and ultitnately a cheap market. Mr. MARRYATT adverted to the speech of the Noble Lord in answer to the Honourable Baronet, and lamented that he had connected the opposers of the Bill with the rioters.—(No, ao !) He was glad to hear this declaimer. He was old enough to re-' member the riots of 1780, and had lived in a street where the mob of that day indiscriminately attacked Papists and Protestants, their object being plunder. u Throw us out," said they, ilsome guineas, or we'll smash your windows."—The rioters of thei present day had the precise object in view of ftuaddring the houses they attacked. Mr. GOOCLI supported the Bill, being of a dif ferent opinion to what he was in 181 S: He did riot approve of being dependent on France for support. Sir GILBERT HEA'CHCOTE, amidst cries of question, arose, observing, 4 , I am surprised at the impatience of the House for the question. Do they see in me one of those roams that have disgrateJ the metropolis ?—(A respec: to the to . say the least of ice it was putting the nation . --••••+•••••411...0... • • t ;it e-anattor ferme , nr.":-.(WeiroitO•Qieirise q —The oflon. Is:uonct maintaiaed that he lard a right :o be heard, and ;1* the Moose were determi.ied to cough ham (1,,,s it, he •teeeld take cart! to let the pu , ple of England know his sentim.nts.—(lhor, Hear.) — The Hon. B tronet proceeded to make some (liner. vations upon the condoct of Ministers, in reviling the Chief Magistrate of London, which he considered un wise and indecent ; and defended the opposers of the Bill against the impatations of the sit/movers, in having - contributed to the oatr tges. With respect to any ulterior po , ceeding, he should verb eps think it necessary to move tin A.filress to the Throne upon the subject. As to clamour, he really beli,ved there was as much within these w'ols as out nt doors. If they went on in this manner—it Me nbers were not heard, this H iuse might become a mere Chamber to register the Edicts of the Cr own.—(A 1 augh.) Mr. HUSKISSON adverted to cert on statements in respect to the latices of Corn during the last ten years of war, which was sai.l to be 88s. Bd. ; that statement was defective, for instead of the average price in the twelve maritime districts being so high as to fix the price of the qu trtern loaf at PA. the fact was, that the avera4e was so high as to fix it at 13d. ' only. He referred to a meeting at Newcastle-upon ' Tyne, in which the opinions of the Honourable Al derman (Sir J. Shaw) were relied no, " amidst the shouts of the multitude ."—(4lregh ) This was the language, the Right Hon. Gentleman observed, of the Report to which he had allnd.:d, and it slimed that the opinions of this "great man," as he WAS very emphatically termed its this Report, had fixed an erroneous judgment in the people cf Newcastle.-- Mr. H. maintained that the Bill would have the lect of lowering the price of Corn, instead of raising the price of it. Sir W. CU R.Tis maintained that the Citizens of were as caperie of jitigieg what was proper to he done us any body t:f per s.ais. 'roey did not see any necessity for fixing the price at 80s. If 603. was the average price, they were 15-‘und to set the price of the loaf at 12.1. Ile therefore, the Lord Mayor was justified in fixing that price on the loaf, and the prohibitory pi ice of Corn was to be 80s. he w ti right in stating that the price of the quartern loaf would be higher. He would vole for Adj:airnment. Mr. W. SMITH s. act', that a very experienced corn factor had told him this d.:y that the price of 655. being fixed. he was unalle to se!! the sample at 555. Ile could not account for that ; but he attri buted it to the assize of bread, which required alter ation, and he Loped the attention of the Legislature would be fixed upon the subject. The Hon. Gentle. man was determined to support the amendment.— He was afraid that the House bad gone on more ras ;;idly than they should have done, on account of the turnoltuotts procerlings. Mr. TIERNEY conceived the noose were called open to pause before they passed the Bill. and to attend to the Petitions upon the table He should be acting contra; y :o the whole of his political con duct, if he did not pay respect to these Petitions, coming as they did from the great body of the people. It was therefore lie condemned precipi.- tancy, while Petitions were coming in, and on their way to the House. The Right Honourable Gen tleman, as a reason for delay, observed, that he nad taken some pains to ascertain the situ stion of the country; and he could stare, that the utmost distress prevailed; in an agricultural point of view, that distress was applicable to the return of peace. He therefore recommended enquiry into the cause of this distress, and to apply a proper remedy. The Right Hon. Gentleman declared, that hit then information was requisite: to that decision the other House had come; and he thought this House would not consi der themselves wiser in respect to agriculture than the Lords, who were purely agriculturalists. Mr. BATHURST supported the Bill. Mr. BARING opposed it. Whatever might be the decision of the House on this important question, he hoped the country would acquiesce in it, as it was bound to do ; but if the Bill should be read a 3d time. tie would move two amendments; the one to make the Bill liable to be repealed in the present Session, and if that should fail, then to make it coextensive with the Bank Restriction BM. The House then divided—For the Bill being read a third time 245; against it 77—Majority 168. While strangers were excluded, Mr. PORTMAN moved to fix the price at 765. instead of 80s. On that the House divided—For 80s. 213 ; against it 72—Majority 141. Mr. BARING then moved his clause by way of rider, that the Bill should be co-existent with the Bank Retstriction Bill ; but that was negatived without a division. He then mlved a clause, that the Bill might be repealed in the present Session, which was agreed to. The Bill wax then passed, and at two o'clock this morning, the House adjourned to Monday. • LIST OF THE. MINORITY ON TOR THIRD READING Or TUE CORN BILL, MARC! 10* Ahererombie,Hon.J. Hamlin:rainy, H. l'alt:ter, Cul. Allan, Col. Howard, Hon. W. 1'..-1, Sir R. Atkin, Ald. Hamilton, Lord A. 1..111p5, Oro. Arbil . ley, A. Harcut.rc, J. Pittman, E. a. glaring, Alexander Harvey, C. Pig.itt, sir A. Babinec)°, 'I. Ile:Aeon., Sir O. Ridley. Sir M. Butterwonh, J. flume, W. Hohmann, A. Bosgbey, Sir J. Horner, F. Romi. y, Sir S. Huller, -- ii,w9r.h, ff. b.nt,tut, Sir J. Burdett, Sir F. Is r voise, G. P. Caw, Sir J. Caleratt. J. King, Sir I D. Shaw, P. Calvert, C. K night, Gar y r:11..1 -y, sir T. Curtis, Sir W. Lam •ton, J. kil. Singh, J. Combs, H. C. Linton, W. Gore Smith, All. Courtenay, W. Leader Smith, R. Davis, R. H. I.ubhock, J. St. haul, Dovaddneall, J. Leigh, s.r W. Sin.th, A. Eneourt, T. ManniN. W. 'I aylor, M.A. Ellison, Cuthbert M,lciniosh, Sir J. Tierney, C.so. Fawcett, H. Marryat, Jos. Vane, Hon. P. Finlay, K. ]Methuen, Paul C. Williams, ---. Freemantle, W. H. Moore, P. Whrbresd, S. Forbes, C. hiiirlawl, S. B. Wane, .-..... Farquhar, ....... Math:slur, W. A. WilkitlA,W. Gascoyue, Gen. Nugent, Lord Wynne, C. Graham, Sir J. Onslow, Seri. "f streas—g. Protherse and W. Snatt.b. The " Adventures of a Gull4aA" has been long held as one of the most delectable of Romances ; but.neither the ancient doctrine of the rastevuiclsoris, nor all the metamorphous of Ovid, could effect such a wonderful convetsion as that of the present Lottery Scheme, by which the Stale of Blanis are transmuted into Bags of real Gold Coin. of One Thonsiind Guinea ' each, which may be received with the Three Prizes of Thirty Thousand Pounds, ou the bald next month. &. Or '1 i..,;,-, 1 ...1,0 sF Ir , • !• • : ' , .!(~ • ~ I !~' • 6s :