Star. — London, England, 1818-03-13 00:00:00

last they athounted only 157".% The li c e nce; to c ieer,- engaged in era same trade had fallen of in t itt e e e Within the last half year, indeed, there ~ccit thrown at o fthe trade vs> less than 189 teinera a. 28 taw:es, 41 oil-dressers, and 12 parch ;at-makers. This, indeed, appeared from the ac wilts ea the table. which also showed that the trade v l ,l salt: dly declined ever since the additional tax Ls imposed, notwithstanding tie last five years and ;:alf included the years of the late war, when its c i s:a: lnv:WA was the greatest ; and showed the num " r ci waster manufacturers which bad been driven eet f the trade, up to January sth, 1818—and the of tan yards which remained unoccupied. stated, that those yards which were still occu ;ea yew act in full work, and that the trade had qual to one-ieventh, instead of having in ,,t,,! vsi:h th. - ! population of the country, as it had yl ei before the imposition of the double tax. F. • .c.re -, te of this trade, the Noble Lord deduced - t:ie diminution of the import of foreign • • iv'ii•hdinlinution was nearly equal to one half qtlantity imported in IS 2. When the import of e a r ex material used in this trade, had thus fallen %:". it wee. he thelight, be inferred that that trade taken off also. Was it possible then, that cousidcrat: - . r•-•an would put t 1:: receipt of a com e...iePly insiani!icant proportion of revenue in corn ein with such consequences as this additional tax • :aced. But the falling off in the revenue itself, 4 from this tex, furnished a proof of the depres of the !aide, especially since the peace of 1814. awa:e that the produce of the tax had rather the last year, but that advance sequence of the increased plan posed of in that rear by those who (tie stock, in order to get out of ir. The whole produce of this tax ,0001. and be it recollected, that was imp o sed in war—that it was which was to cease neon the re- But was the sum which he had ould reconcile the House to the ruin, of a great branch of our was calculated that not less than ,3 been already deprived of cm 7pression of this trade, in conse itional tic, and that the loss thus !sources of the country, exceeded half. El•arely then the House motion, and not allow ary tem revenue to operate aeainst the of trade. Of what consequence, isual amount of revenue, if it en ity, or menaced the prosperity of Lich all revenue was derivable.— h, indeed, depended upon the sta aad he trusted that that stability risked to answer any temporary In proposing to repeal this ob ce could not imitate the example of lend (Mr. Calcraft) upon the sub ix, by holding out the promise of a in his view, it was in the power ;elves to provide that which was for taxation, namely, by such a expenditure and public establish teir duty to make. The Noble Lord )ying for leave to bring in a Bill' Le additional duty on Leather. ,Ll.olt of the EXCHEQUER said, of the Noble Lord were for the ap cmnhittee, and that the House were to it, he should not object to its could not concur in the present called upon the House to decide ititioners, without any inquiry as it allegations. The result of the statement was only calculated to ; to the operation of the Tax to :ers objected, although that state - the grounds which appeared in a iy the Petitioners themselves. Yet Is he (the Chancellor of the Exche a was not warrantable to conclude :ich the motion referred had ope- . ee to produce that depression of the Noble Lord had alleged ; to • eever, he could not subscribe, for e the let that the duty was pro •ed from the returns of the last id produce of the duty, was indeed icrae consumption of leather had .:awleick exceeding the additional upon any leather exported. The ;ere, of the Noble Lord, that the fallen off more than any other einufacture, since the peace, was On th- contrary, indeed, of all the ifiel neat by the extraordinary de the trade under consideration had ;lie peace. If then thi; trade was tax, it would be unfair to demand tax, unless it were clearly shewn would improve the trade. end this lid not even attempt t.o rake out. toe Leather Tax the Right Honour stated to he 201e000/. ie 1777, 1, 391•,000/. in 1810, a-bk:: advance inereaed demand through ',he war, thin the last year. From this state • that the produce of the Leather in off, and win nee did it appear trade had fallen off? This trade a considerably advanced through d , enand per leather, in consequence ce77,lti-a of that demand must he tiode ie some degree. It was, .!or. al: of the seventy-five baelc iie Noble Lei d had stated to latee fi e year: after the additior.a . in conseritience, as the Noble L or d exeaence of that tax, no less than I place within the last two years, cc aclusio.n of the peace. As to the ex's, that did not exceed eieht ar after the tax was imposed.— namely, in 181 l e the reduction odcrahle, but that was owing not fele additiorel tax, but to the po as the tines, wiiich produced a t•-:.r demand for leather, in k onse. irranaean of the war through the Now with regard to the ioa uh foreiea lades, that was to be two t - eiiials....eirst, the disturbed Istate of South America. and the division of the trade ( I itueuos Ayres with other nations, and especially with the United States, which trade we were enabled to monopolize through the war. But the fact that the Leather Trade had not fallen off, was, he thought, ob vious, frmi the advance which had taken place in the price of leather, that advance being at present, com pared tc. the price in 1815, no less than 2d. a pound. l'here was a remarkable fact connected with this trade, which had lately come. to his knowledge, and that was, that though there was only one steam en gine employed throughout the whole of the trade in London, before the Tax objected to by the Petitio n,:rs was imposed, there were at present no less than five such engines in employment. This fact he tf.ought a proof of the advance of trade, and this proc,t was not weakened by the number f persons who had withdrawn from the trade, because that had taken place on the part of persons of small ca pital, who could not maintair a successful competi tion with those of large capital—who could, for in stance, afford to employ steam engines ? and thus contrive to manufacture more leather. But to make out his argument, that the additional tax had not operated to produce any depression in this trade, lie stated that there was a branch of the leather trade which was not subjected to that tax, and yet this branch had fallen off since the imposition of that tax more than one half; that is from 130,00016. in 1812, to 40,000 in the last year. He meant the oiled dressed leather,' and this he regarded as a con elusive proof that any•depression in the leather trade was not the coitsequence of the additionaltax referred to in the motion. here the Right Hon. Gentleman referred to a circular letter which be said was lately sent to the persons concerned in the leather trade, exhorting them to have Petitions pouted in from all quarters into the House by this day, in order that the trade might avail itself of what the writer called the present favourable moment for producing a re peal of the tax. This letter the Right Hon. Gentle man said, was dated on the sth instant. -But why its author or authors could deem the present a fa vourable moment for the repeal of the tax, he could not pretend to divine. He, however, hoped that Gentlemen would feel the duty which they owed to their country and to their own character, and con sider that the present time was peculiarly unfavour able for the reduction of the revenue. There were at present petitions before the House praying the repeal of no less than three millions and a half of taxes, to some of which it was deemed jest and expedient to concede, and especially to those for the repeal of the window tax in Ireland. The reduction of our establishments and expense to any material extent, was quite impracticable, consistently with just poli tical considerations. The Noble Lord himself indeed proposed only the reduction of £lBO,OOO per annum, through the diminution of our military force ; and as to the common call for reduced expense, he referred to the result of the abolition of sinecures last year, to shew that such a call was too often founded in error. Where then was any reduction to be thought of that could justify any material reduction of our taxes, es pecially considering the deficiency of the annual re venue compared to the annual expenditure? Under such circumstances he trusted the House would not accede to a motion which proposed to deprive the State of no less ;Pan 260,0001. per annum—that it would consider if it thus proceeded to reduce the es• tablished revenue, it would have no alternative but to choose between bankruptcy and disgrace or the imposition of the Property Tax. Mr. CURWEN deprecated the reference of this question to a Committee, as the result must be recol lected of such a reference upon a former occasion ; &elating his resolution, notwithstanding the threat of the Property Tax, to support the motion, and vote for the repeal of this mischievous tax. As to the employment of the steam engines, the Right Ho nourable Gentleman's conclusion from that circum stance was quite erroneous, as such employment was merely the effect of the reduced price of those arti cles of late. But with respect to the reduction of expense, the Right Hon. Gentleman professed to think such reduction quite impracticable. In this, however, he, in common, he fully believed with the I whole country, differed from that Right Honourable Gentleman's opinion ; and also from his statement that any solid reduction had yet taken place. He concurred, however, with the Right Hon. Gentle man as to his view of the result of the abolition of sinecures, for no saving had arisen, or was meant to arise out of that abolition. That indeed was care fully penvided against by the Act itself, which caused the abolition, and it was now quite clear that the ex ample of Lord Camden was not likely to be imitated. Mr. BENSON said, that he had always supported Ministers when, for the public security, it was neces sary to strengthen their hands. On the present oc casion he should vote for the motion of the Noble Lord, because those concerned in the Leather trade knew well that the motion for a Committee would only tend to produce delays and impediment, and would, in the end, be attended with no beneficial re- I suit. The whole amount of the produce of the addi tional duties was 170.0001. and for such a trifling sum, he trusted the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not continue to hug it, when he considered the injury it inflicted on the manufacture. Lord CASTLEREAGH stated, that his Majesty's Government were solicitous to afford every practi cable relief ; but he feared, that if the House went hand over head, where so many claims would be, made from various other branches of trade, great! prejudice would ensue. He recommended the adop- ' tion of a Select Committee, to which the Petitions on thetable should be referred, and moved an Amend ment to that effect. Mr. BROUGHAM trusted his Noble Friend would persevere in pressing his motion. Two Committees had already sat, every information was recorded, and no other result would follow from the adoption of the amendment, but farther delay. His opinion was now the same as that he delivered six years ago—it was a tax upon a necessary of life, and was therefore, a solecism in finance—a complete arithmetical blun der. lie feared, however, from what had fallen from the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, that in place of intended relief it was the intention of that Gentleman to place his long hand on another branch of the Leather Trade that had hi therto escaped the grasp of taxation. The oil buff leather trade, said he, has not been taxed, and it was new in a depressed state. No doubt the Chan (.3l:,r of the EALiteiver thought that his interference with it would certainly make that branch of trade revive, which was now druoping. Lord COMPTON spoke in favour of the motion, and denied that the Tax WAS productive. Colonel WOOD said, wheeler it was productive, or not, would be best ascertained in a Committee.— Ile was one of those who thought the Legislature began at the wrung end, in shifting the Property Till from themselves and leaving other Taxes that directly pressed upon the lower orders. Comparing the severities of both, he would prefer a relief from the Salt Duties, and the continuation of the Tax upon Leather. General GASCOYNE recollected the impediments the former had to contend with. To agree now to the Amendment would only lead to delay, and ulti mately to preclude relief. He should therefore vote, for the Noble Lord's motion. Mr. C. CALVERT denied that the additional du ties had been productive. The Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer had proceeded on a wrong average. Mr. MARRYATT stated the distress of his con stituents in the Borough of Sandwich, who were con nected with the Leather Manufacture. lie the parish where these people principally resided, the tom- Rate was 20s. in the pound—in the other parish it was only 12s. Mr. LUSIHNGTON contended, that the distress of the manufacturers was attributable to the cessa tion cf the war demand. He denied that those en gaged in the trade were unanimous in their wish for the repeal of the War Duties. There were two branches of the Export Trade that were averse to the repeal of those duties, accompanied as that re peal must necessarily be by the repeal of the draw backs; of which objection, the fact that the war duty was three-halfpence and the drawback two-pence, afforded an easy solution. Sir TI lOM AS ACKLAND spoke in favour of the high duties on Leather. After a few words from General GAscovxe, Mr. LCSIIINOTON, and Mr. BENSON, in explanation, the House divided—For the Amendment, S4—Against it, 94--Majr,rity, 10. - . _ _ _ Lord ALTHOXP'S Motion, for leave to bring in the Bill to repeal the Duties, was then put and agreed to. PAROCHIAL VESTRIES AND RATES. Mr. STURGES BOURNE rose to make his pro mised Motion for leave to bring in two Bills for the Regulation of Palish Vestries, &c. which he prefaced by a few Observations illustrative of the purposes he had in view. The object of his first Bill (anions mi nor regulations) vAkuld be to give additional influ ence to persons in Parish Vestries in proportion to their contribution to the Poors Rates. This proposi tion was not new to the House, and he was not aware that any objection had been made to it; and as far as he could learn from communications with all parts of the country, it was a provision that would be very generally acceptable. The first object of his second Bill would be a provision to enable parishes of considerable extent to appoint Select Vestries for the management of their concerns; the orders of which should not be over-ruled by any single Masis trate ; but only by two et. more. The next object !would be a prevision qualifying persons having con siderable property in the parith, though resident at a short distance out of it, to become overseers. Ano ther object would be to enable parishes to appoint an assistant overseer, with a salary. The next provision was one of considerable importance, although only in furtherance of the existing law ; it was to make provision for carrying into better effect the Statute of Elizabeth, as far as regarded setting to work the ' children of parents who were unable to maintain them. This was, at the present moment, a matter of the utmost importance; for a practice most inju rious had become prevalent to a very great extent, both in manufacturing and in agt icultural districts, which ought by all means to be counteracted—that of lowering the wages of labour, and making good the deficiency out of the Poors' Rates. He could not refrain from naming one parish in particular, in which this practice had been carried further than in any other that he had heard of. He had received in formation that in the parish of Botesdale, in Suffolk, the price of labour had been reduced to 6d. a day ! So that to a labourer, the expense of maintaining whose family was 20s. or:3os. a week, the person who had his labour paid 3s. the parish made good the re mainder out of the Poor Rates ! This was a great evil, which had existed for some time, but was now increasing beyond all bounds. It was productive of the worst consequences. It was oppressive to the poor, and unjust to several other classes of suciety. The honest and industrious labourer was driven by it into a state of degradation, and the shopkeeper:. and others, who did not employ the labourer, wei e nevertheless made to contribute to his wages. It %v.v.. most desirable to correct so destructive and abomi nable a practice—(hear, hear, hear).—The next pro vision of his proposed Bill would tend again to fur ther the execution of the existing law, by giving em ployment to those out of work ; it would be to enable parishes to let small portions of laud to industrious individuals: and, if adopted, would, he was per suaded, exhibit very beneficial results. Another ob ject of the Bill would be a provision to enable Parish Officers to recover possession of tenements in which they had placed paupers, and of land which, in con formity to the last provision, they had let to them, without being reduced to the tedious and expensive process of ejectment. The next provision would be one of considerable importance, but not of novelty, as it had been suggested last Session, since which he bad received numerous applications earnestly pres sing its adoption. It would be in the case of towns, to enable parishes to rate the owners of houses, in stead of the occupiers. In towns, by various means, a large proportion of the occupiers of houses escaped being rated (the consequence of which was a larger rent paid to the owners), and an immense burden was thus thrown on the remainder. After several minor regulations, there would be a provision to authorise parishes to discriminate in the relief they afforded, and to regulate its amount and nature by the charac ter and habits of those to whom it was granted ; so that overseers should advance money to those who had squandered previous means, only by way of loan, to be repaid by instalments. It was at present a se rious evil, that many of those who received pensions for their services in the army or navy, receiving those pensions at quarterly periods, dissipated them in two or three days, and then resorted to the palish for as sistanc.e. It was just that the parishes should applj to be allowed to pay those penVions ; and there wou'ele' e. be a provision in the Bill to enable such persons as he had alluded to, to save themselves from the temp tation of squandering their allowances, by permitting them to receive their pensions weekly from parishes. A great burden was at present thrown on parishes in the persons of those who had no settlement at all in this country, natives of Ireland, Scotland, &c. At Ipreient these persons were committed as vagrants. It would be a provision in his Bill that the Magistrates should have power to pass them to the sea-pert neatest their home, without committing them. Such was a slight sketch of the objects which the professed measures had in view ; und the House would observe, that they tended rather to amend the administration of the laws than to alter the system itself. His 'zi tention was, if the House gave him leave, to bring in the Bills as soon as possible. to Rill up theblanks, :rd to have them printed, and circulated throughout the country, for the consideration of those who were most conversant with the subject, and most interested in it—(hear, hear). Mr. S. BOURNE then moved for leave to bring in a Bill to regulate Parish Vestries. Some conversation took place, in which Mr. N. CALVERT ! Mr. C. CALVERT, General HOPE, and Mr. S. BOURNE, participated ; when Lord CASTLEP.EM.:3 observed, that it would be most satisfactory to see the Bill in the House before any further discussion on the subject, as its precise objects would then be more intelligible. Leave was then grantedto bring in the I ll ; ned Mr. S. 11011ItNE immediately afterwards obtained leave to bring in the second Bill to amend the laps for the relief of the poor. NORTH POLE. Mr. CROKER said, that as the progress of the Dill f.-.r amending the Acts respecting the iloarJ of Longitude had been delayed, he wished to bring in another Dill imaitCd purp se, which it would be desirable to pass through before the holtd .ys. It was to Ater the words of the o.th prescrib .1 to be taken by the Masters of Greenland ships, who were convened to b ...r that they had no view of profit but the Fishery. Ile 4 to add or the Parliamentary Itrward Ld. cppro.n.biai , the Pole." Ships were now every thy fitting out for U. , : trade. !.:e moved for leave to bring in a Dal for this purpose..—L...ve w.. 1 given, and the Dill brought in. In answer to a question cf Lord A. 11-1731 T LTO!:, Mr, CROKER said that he did not intend to press on ha.-tay the ot her 13111 on the same subjact now befcre the House. The Bill was read a first and second time, r.nd ordered to be committed to-morrow. INDEMNITY BILL. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the com mitment of the Indemnity Bill. Sir WILLIAM BURROUGHS gave notice, that he should move an Amendment on bringing up the Report, for the purpose of preventing Indemnity being extended to Magistrates or others who may have seized the Papers ot Persons whose only offence was being present in tumultuous assemblies. Lord CASTLEREAGH said, if no Amendment was made in the Committee, there could be no Re port of any. Sir WILLIAM BURROUGHS observed, that 1-. e was not aware of this circumstance, and that several Gentlemen had left the House on an understancii-1 that an Amendment might be proposed on bringing up the Report. The SPEAKER stated, that if no Amendment was made in the Committee, it could Lot be moved till the third reading. Sir WILLIAM BURROUGHS said, he under stood, from the argument of the Solicitor-General, that the Amendment which he meant to propose would not be objected to. Frcm that argument, he understood that it never was in the contemplation cf his Majesty's Ministers to extend an indemnity to those who had seized the papers of rersons merely for having been present at tumultuous assemblies. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, he had al luded merely to the searching of the houses cf per 'sons accused of publishing seditious libels. An lion. and Learned GentlCman had stoned from a News paper, that the papers of a person had been seized on the pretence of his having published blasphemous and seditious libels, and he had observed that the Act would extend indemnity to such cases. 'the Honourable Baronet had misunderstood him, if he thought he went farther than this. After some observations from Sir Wsi. Bunnoucus, the House went into the Committee. Sir JOHN NEWPORT stated, that it was Lis in tention on the third reading to oiler a dame, ~ biding that nothing in the Act should extend indem nity to any persons, against whom an action was brought for acting with rigour or severity in api-re hending or detaining persons. He understood tine Bill was not meant to extend to such cases, but as it was worded, it was liable to he so construed. As he understood the Attorney-General to say; that it was not in the contemplation of his Majesty's Min:,- ters to extend the fill to ar.y such cases of severi!:-, he should offer this clause, and he gave this not:.e of his intention, that no gentleman might he taken by surprise. It was his intention also tc offer clause, to provide that payment should be made from the public revenue of such damages as migllt be awarded by Juries to ai.,-grievel--(Tear, hrnrt— persons, on the principle that if the public was bo nehted ivy the Act of Indemnity, the public ought to pay the price, and that it should not be thrown on the individual. The Bill went through the Committee w:tl.ont receiving any amendments, and the Repoit 'sat or dered to be received to-morrow. BOARD OF LC,NOITUDE BILL. Mr. CROKlik movr.d the second icading of tl.e Board of LongittAle Bill. At present, preparatici..: were making tot a vcyage of discovery to the No:- them Regions. The expe.lition would sail bef. Parliament met again ; and it was desirable, the r fore, that the Bill should p.ess that House before ‘'.f. holidays, that Left .is its sailing the per:Ai:is might know with more certainty what rewaie ti.. had to expect. It was his intention, therefore, tc pose the commitment on Monday next. Sir CHARLES MONCK said, the Bill ought t have been sooner intioduced, to give the House time for more maturely considering it. Mr. CROLER said, he did not mean to harms tl.e Bill throngh the House—there would be two between each stage. After some observations from Mr. f....MYTH. the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Monday next. Mr. Alderman WOOD gave nrtice, that after the bolidr.rt he should move for 1,...ve Lrirg iu 11.11 fa tar tukt.t..arv im.it of Trade and s atit It w.:s r !., sn Acz v.hiab had beet, rasutl fn fraland. The objet: wAs to enable et the'..tde, espcciall awa.e that the pro within the last ,et the conrcquenc - .ltl disposed of off their stock 1 . . , ! trade atro;zetlic:r. ''0.),0!)0/, to was iml A •3x, Wll ich :f `. But w ai ret :• e. ruin. r • ~.t It was cal had been ' b- the di-pressi , w of the additional t• ed in the resources , .c and a half. •h accede to his motion I ......1%-ance of rcvenu r-r.lar.eat interest of trade was any casual ant c.....cre,1 the ,ecurity, or f 7. • trad.: font which all • we.dth, indee •z c c-ir trade, and he ncvLr be risked tc e:Tedient. In pr 'fax, he could ....Hor. , urable Friend (M: of the S.tlt Tax, by itbaitute ; for, in his Niaisters themselves to t.:eb.st substitute for tax t on of our expenditt net's as it was their duty tnclo,ied ith moving for e repeal of the additic Tae CII.I.NCELI.OIt • • if the motion of the NI of a C'ommittec. :5-psei to accede to it, h • But he could because it called ..:veur of the Petitioners truth of their allega • Lo-d% own statemei iate dnaht as to the :. the Petitioners objet . contained all the gro ▪ circulated by the Pe ▪ :hose grounds he (thc contended, it was no ..e Tax to which the ▪ any degree to pi .rain the Nol (ATI", h tile ....1 appeared fron produ hole rot dr.c..cd, for a d:awl-ack a, upon an therdore, of ' fradt Lia fallen 7 . !) 'I our w. entractt , % 7 1 . ' 0 11 .)..ICII I)l..aif:!ti 7110; r7C. , • et t AT. t 1.41 ;, lea,t ',iv the peaci by the tax, it • f that tax, un S o:el rfpeal mould it r' 'Noble Lord did not e - of the ',eat] p7 '• Gentleman stated in 1791, 39 I,Ot %.ing to an increase( t,l)O't within the 1 • ...I v.as dear that the A z. rot fallen off, a: c .. • kather trade ha beet consic r, - h d , :nand and cc .tit the ..td , : ••, ten fart, !hat • ieh the Nobi ,:re,•.! • with a fire ' i , in emit ' • I tl.e exi--tent • ken place r • c(:aclusi; 0 - had n! . tl line •_f •t,ct ce.tr after t bcr narneh ye... V. • 7 - I ' cqiderabit t,f the al : th, icr der Lieenco Ice the li(e.lap iYte. nceS 13 , fin i ai v .l ,l:l . • v : tun I;