Star. — London, England, 1801-12-15 00:00:00

deineteeffary any - eowtment tin the preleur ewes. lion. But the unparalleled abundance of the late barvefi* betides the enormous quantities of foreigw corn imported under the liberal encouragement and bounty of the Legiflature, contralted with that recent, rapid, and fcarcely accountable rift: on the price of bread corn within the anti few weeks, was I IlihjeZt which woad at fail to ex cite alarm to every than who witnelTed the cala mities of the two Lilt years, and who malt now obferve the rapid approach of firnilar calamities under the artinces of omen who, he feared, had but too much concern in aggravating, if not in caufing, the miferies of the lower orders, within the period alluded en. Such a fubjeft curtly de manded a parliamentary invelligation, and the application of a remedy, if any lhould be offered in the courfe of difcullion worthy to by adopted. Notwithßanding the fentiment which al,mdlt uni verfally prevailed through every part of the coun try, that the meafure of opening the Corn Dia& leriss, expeiled to take place on the &It of Janu ary 'Sot, was the Me caufe and pretence upon which the otherwile unaccountable rife of cdtn in the country was hourly gaining ground ; notwith (Landing . the petitions •from fo many refpOtable communities in every part of the kingdom, which in endlefs numbers crowded the table, ex prefSve of the fame fentiment, and earneilly deprecating the opening of thofe Diailleries, as the certain foerce of incalculable mitchicf, yet it bad been repeatedly and Rrenuoufly contended, that di, proportion of barley confumed by the Corn Willer', would not have any fuch opera tion, naturally, as an inordinate rife on corn. But as well from the petitions, without end, al ready preanted to the Houle, as from every in formation he could derive out of doors, this growing evil arofe from no other caufe thaft the mere contemplation-of opening the Corn Dillil leries on the tirfi of neat month. Even the very fall market day at Oxford, fituated in the midt of a cora country, and *here marketb regulate the rates of furronnding towns for a confiderable extent, the price of barley rote ss. per quarter abode its rate at the preceding market day : and be was :anted by the letters of very refpe4table earrefpoodents, now in his pocket, that the con templation of °peeing the Corn Diaillwies was the foie wife. Front whatever caufe it really arofe, the era was admitted ow all handle." atilt ; and whether it agate from any real deficiency in the Rock of corn in the country, owing, as had been alt, to the abundance of the late harvett being drawn upon to fupply the defedts of the firmer one.—sor whether it was eaukti by a combination tithe farmers in withholding their grain from market. in contemplation of the high prices which the opening of the Dillilleries would create, at kali a pretence to demand the prohibi tion of the Difiilleries for fosse time longer would afford the remedy in either-eafe. as it would ex plooile there eapFitations which indnoeci the farmer or the monopohlt to withhold his grain from mar •ket, and by throwing into the flock of human food the whole of the barley which would otberwife be confurned by the diftilleries in the produetion of a rnifchievous fpirit,equollyruinous to the health and morals of.the lower orders, -the price of corn mull steceffarily be lower ; the prefent mid growing ex orbitancy of which could not be attributed to any deficiency in the late harveft, teeming as it did with the moil unparalleled abundance, not only in every fpecies of corn, but iu every vegetable pro duition elculent to man or beall. To prevent then the repetition of thole calamities, which in the Taft two years bad been sicked on the insiuttriouopoor, with all the horrors and fatalities of famine (for by the ceports of medical gentlemen in every part of the country who attended them, it appeared that of thofe who died, two-thirds met their un timely fate from diforders ariling out of the &anti- Refs of food),liehoped the Houle would interfere, and by -the adoption of a remedy within their power, and fo congenial to the general fenfe of, the country, prevent the further growth of an evil. fo rapidly tending to all its former *reefs. But even though the remedy he propofed thould not he thought adequate to the writchief in its full eatent, yet if it went only a confiderable length towards a purpofe fo defirable, humanity ;mutt call upon the Houle for its adoption. The firenegunient upon' which the opponents of-this meafure ;milted was, that the proportion of barley confirmed by the tlif: tilleriesi nEngtand was too t r; vial,in eomparifenwith the produce of die foil, to affect the prices of grain, • being but an average of from a to,ooo to soo,ooo quarters per annum. The proportion of aoo,ooo quarters for Scotland, would make the whole '500,000 quarters, which, upon fair calculation, was acknowledged to be adequate in the produce la bread to 3t50,000 wieners of wheat. Now a quarter of wheat was etiroated as competent fulr tenanee for one man, for twelve months, in bread; and thus would the means of giving in ;sport in whokfortie food-to 360,0c0 of his Mnjcfly's fub lltibi far a whok year, he fact ifieed to the prod:le gion of a pernicious article, .equally ruinous to morals and to health. WAS it wife or humane in the Parliament of this country to permit, under the prefint err'eunidaiires, In g!arin7, a mifapplication of the food of do- : it Las been afferted, that barlerdid net form, in any confidetable de sire, the food of the-woo king poor. This how - ever he knew to he Min landed. for in the Weft of England, and feveral Northern and Mid land Counties, herbs) , on, the principal ingredient of bread for the poor, and coninfarrti by them as die moil nutritious grain for food. Another propes. fition that had been named as a ci,unteradive to the evil complained of, was to enlighten the public mind upon this fuh:,.l, by piNithing that report of the Committee oat the high Pa ice of Provitiu:is, which (tater rea l hark' , cnuftanacJ n • by the diiii cries. 'krlid been atinendy din through all the tuwij•apers uithout circa :—on the contrary, from th: very mornmt that a R;ght Ho sountble Qcntlrma luta ki s purp nc e o f t , pci , • • hog the corn (1411h:ries eArly in Novemher, the tifz commented, Lilt ha, continued to atlvonee with rapid 4ii alarming nritics, and the penpic in the fame fririt, ioyai y and peaceahle demeanour, that hatl f. laudably tliitinguitheel them tbrou2ll "belt recent chi:Jen - es, acre, eumphiated nt; nor ~* tante fortrawnildtaeli r e e titiont to detente the n evil, util.thet begat feel its levoqa 1 1 % fad' , _dm longer time under preterit circilmthowes, linciumeratdt petitions would have come tbvsestask i from all pens of the cooiltry. - But if the Houle was adjourned, id the long reeds over the firft of 1 January, without adopting no* foist meafirre 'of tirevattiort to the evil, all the mift/aiefs apprehend -1 ea would have been fuftained before Parliaistent could have time and oppottunity to afford redrefs. The nest argument agitintl his purpcte was, that 'the reitenue of the country would be Materially in jiv ed. But the• Right Hon. Gentleman, in forming loch a coneittfion,didure Rein tohavaevetted his ritual deliberation, onto have confuiered that What ever dtpreffion the revenue . might fullaiti &on) the temporary fulpention of the dittilledes, would be nearly compenfated by the increafed ctinfump don of the breweries, and the deficiency on this head more than amply made up by the import ditties on foreign fpirits. 'Having fo , fitr anfWereci as he conceived, the principal orguinents againft his object, lie obfervtd the petitions on the table were not the querulous ebullitions of an unthink ing multitude, but o 1 refpedahle t difereet; and fo ber-minded communities. who were fully aware of any lots the revenue might &Rain width beads and prepared to coptribum. by taxes in any other Rape, to make up for use deficiency, tuitions Only to obtain a meafure which they concelfe of fo much importance to the community. Another argument objetted tb the meafure was, that it would teal to prombte clandeftine dillillery, both in Ireland and Scotland, and the fmuggling of (vitas from both into England, and conlequently that the diffilleay eolild not be fufacaded in one without being-fb m all. He kne4ir no arrangement, however, Co defirable, as by this means the price of barley is thole countries Would be lowered, which would tonfeqacatly facilitate their impor tation in this, and thus efeatioally countered the very mifchief he complained of. As to clandettine diffillery and fmOgglieg, *hat had Government more to do for their prevention than employing more revenue officers and more cruisers? but in vain would it be to pals laws prohibiting the dil dilation from wheat, fo Much more productive to the diftiller than any other fpeeits of corn, if the cordial:it opporumities of eluding fuels laws were afforded to the diaftkr in the working of every other kind of grain.- In the prohibitiop be wif h ed for a time to be impofed for the diffillety from grain—the diftillers were not without an alterna tive in the ufe of molafes ' Which, however, he was willing to admit, did not produce a fpirit fo palat able or popular as corn ; but the asifehief would be the loft to the multitude. But the eadyfpecies of limitation which he conceived competent to remedy the diftreffes of the public, was to prohibit the diaillory from grain fo often as it fitould ex ceed a certain reaffinable price. The Honourable Member utterly difclaimed every thing like en mity to -the diftillen. He believed them to be a menterous. opulent, refpedetble, and honourable body of men, and he gave them the higiteft credit for one circumllance of their couch" which me rited the hqrheit applaufe front their country—it was that ortpootaneostly flopping their own dif tilleries at a those of public didiefs, when they con ceived loth a proceeding Amid be advantageous to the community. He bad no views to advan tage any let if men by in i tati3kg the &hiders. He had no connexion with Weft India.or other merchafits whole interelts might 'be inimical to thole of the diftillers. His fide objed was firft to do away the pretence which the diftilleries would afford for enhancing immediately the price of grain ; and fecondly, for preventing, at luch a crifis as the pit-fent, the znifapplication of eboooo quar ters of corn from the food of the multitude, to the manufacture of a poifon to their health and mo rals, whizb within the 141 two years had contri buted in the molt alarming degree to the deftruc tion of one, and the depravity of the other. The I inordinate tie .of fpirittions liquors amorigh the lower orders, had become a gigantic evil. Gin became the general fubfinute for malt liquors among& them—one-third of the untimely deaths of that race of people, as well as °fib& erimcc, were atttibuted to their excelfes in-that pernicious liquor.' This was his firm perfuafion, ;cod the relish of ia. years experience and observation. Botany Bay was crowded with criminals, whoaraced the caufes lot their banifhment to this evil. and a total exemp. 1 /ion from the ufe of fpirits afford al the chief. Means of their refortn. He concluded by expraf ling his hope that the mature of prohibition to 'the corn 'Dalliers, which had already proved fo faletary, would be further continued; and by moving for leave to bring in a BUJ for that purpole. Mr. Per rea feconded the Motion, agreeing at the fame time that the prefent high price of corn, as conneeted with the Diallieries, did not arife from the quantity they confunic, but from the expede don of the farmers that they would be opened. Mr. Dear obferved, that what the Right Hon. Chancellor of the Exchequer had thrown out with regard to the relative fituations of England and Ireland on a ((ono nialn certaialy called for-ma ture del, !Aeration. He agreed with the Hon. Mesa. her who fpokt lath, that the diftillers had an alter native in the Me of toolaffes, and he agreed that if mollifies produced. s lets palatable (Phil than darn, the ronfumption mull he Ids of courfe, and the riaanrie contequently fall off. But this was not in his mind a confideration to warrant the Xsf eontintumee of a p-ohibition,the neceffity of which 1 . ..ar5e.1 tiibe corroborated by the Order of Coun cil on S nut Jay lati, Itrietly prohibiting the expor tation to every teems of cm-Naiad threw open the I ernaftion to impost prorifinns of every fort. The table of the Houle was befales covered with peti tions for continuing the pmhasition. while not one ' had been offered on the other fide. The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer. whole candour on this qne II ion redounded to highly to his honour, gave an adelidotal inQance of that candour this tight in his notice of adjoining only till Mon: day mat, in order to give fair time for the deli berate dircuffion of this butinefs, and it was highly probable a number of othcrpetitions would again% that time be ready to come forward. and the ko timents of the country be thereby mom generally eaiLe dun the f ihj.aft. The whole revenue Rate frnee the Corn Diftillery was laisrlist al t •soTkood but Ti, would amwal to the good feu& r /Oise Right 11%n. Gentleman, and that of the I o llfolfe, whether it was worth while to Olefin* 4 1 `funt - in competition with the hag of the counts - es I or Whether it was paramount to the content apti Welfare of the community in any queflina. The Diftillers therufelves, of their own accord, had flopped their Diftilleries, in confideration of pub:- lic neceffity, and thereby attrated a co nfide:able (hare of well merited popularity, and it was their duty to give way to the public feeling en a tub jea of fit much importance, now as well as thee. He eoncluded by givinghisfupport to the motion. Mr. Witttam SMITH coofliered the arguments vied by the Hon. Gentleman by whom the motion had been introduced, as completely contradidory to each other. He was aftgaifised that the Hon. °amiantus could affect that it was impollible to prevent the de of.wheat in the diftillenes, unlefs grain was altogether prohibited ; whereas it was a fat generally admitted, that wheat was never tiled in diffillenes for Come time bock. It was Lis belief that one quarter'of wheat had not been ufe4 in the diftilleries fence the prohibition, for no dif tiller would be lb abflird Ars to run the rifle. He remembered that d diftiller was once fulpeeled of ufing %Meat, and a profeaution was carried on :mama him at the eepence of the diftillers them-1 felves. With regard to the injurious effete arifing from the intemperate bre of fpirks, no man more fincerely deplored ii than he did; but the goalie's; was, was it pofilble to prevent the ufe of (piths in this country ? if it was not, and furel Ito man would deny it, would it not be better to per mit our own diftillers to produce it, particularly when no foarcity aietually exifted to forbid it, and when the amount of the revenue they produced, and the facility with which that revenue was ca. lated, was taken into confederation. He con tended that fo far from the piofpeet of opening the diftilleries affeaing the Marlon the price of barley had not advanced though4trheat bad.— Much reliance feemed to be placed on the hunt ber of the petitions on the table, as expreffive of the general opinion, whereas in aft they amount ed only to eight, and It would not be difficult to (hew that eight petitions might be cafily procured on the contrary fide. The Hon. Gentleman had complained of the increafed confumption of ;pit its within the left twelve months ; and yet it was or. tortous that the clay oft fpirits had fallen oite•half, a circundiance which did not go in corrohdration of the Hon. Gentleman's flatement. He Main tained that the whole of the argument! uteri by the Gentleman were erroneous, and called upon.him to explain the confiltency of there poll tions, that the ftoppage of the diftilleries would in create the flock of food for man, and reduce the price of bread; and yet that the reyenue would not fuffer, as the flock of barley to be loft to the dittilleries would be confirmed by the breweries, which wovid of courfe be more produetive of re venue to the State. tTnlefs the Hon. Gentleman meant to fay that the fame barley was to be made , into bleed, and ufed by the brevets; there contra diaions he apprehended could not be reconciled. The reafons which influenced him to recommend the opening of the diftilleries were (imply theta of juftioe smd expediency.; certainly, if the fuperior confideration of general kareity called upon the difhllers to flop their bufinefs, they oweel that duty to the Public, and'were bound to give +my ; but if that fuperior confideration did not exit, the Houfe had a duty to perform—the ditty of spro tealon, and were bound to permit the Millers to refume their employment, the propriety of which he had no doubt would be felt, notwithffitnding the leudnefs of unfounded clamour, and the alit v ity of prejudice. ' Mr. Ws LLLLL oa ex, after obferving that the de triment likely to be fuflained by the. revenue, in confequence of prolonging the flifpention of the ditlilleries, was ellimated at a greater rate than it ought to be, expreffed his opinion that the great queflion for the oonfideration of the Haute was, whether they fhould not enfure by every juft means the cheapnefs of that great article of food—bread. Barley, it was proved, had been ukd with much benefit, but by allowing the diftillation from graM to recommence, that lource of fttbfillence would be necelfarily impaired. Men would, on molt oc cartons, be influenced by their feelings, and perfons who knew that they could then get a high price for their corn, would be induced to look to all higher price, from the generAl impreffion that the working of the (Williams from grain would ren der it (career. It was.obvious to Gentlemen, that the flandard of.the general price of corn was taken from that of the London market, and if fo•large a quantity as that which would he requifite for the diftilleries, were to be bought up at this time of the year. who could doubt that it would influence in a very material degree the price of the market? In the years ;793 and 1796, when it was though t proper co flop the di ft illation from grain, bar ley was only 33 killings in the firft and 37 in the fecond year. and even at that period the benefit produced by the inealure was allowed to be of the nos falutary kind. If the diftillaries werAnot (topped at prefent, it would be irnpoifible flop l them with as much elk& hereafter. There was no i detriment which could arife now to the rcfpeeable perfons employed in the bufinefs, as bad been the cafe formerly. No barley would be left on hand ; no cattle would he revaninmg in sock without the means of fattening. There was one argument which Bruck him very forcibly in favour of the bill. and that originated from the conlideration, that if any material rife &and take place in the article of corn, it might be afcribed, both in the minds of men of found retire and in thofe of the macs of the people, to the opening of the diftilleries. The Cii•iscatioa of the Excnsoyaa Paid, he was defirous of exprefUng his fentinsentt and Rating his opinion on this very important fubjeft. imme diately after the declaration of the fentiments of his Hon. Friend who had jut fpoken, becaufe he felt it incumbent on him to corset one sniftake, which he wac enabled to awn& from information which he derived from the execution of his official duty; he meant that part of the ftatement or his Hon. Friend which :elated to the Revenue. His , Hon. Friend had dated, that akliough the 4T:cf• i t iT • r tf . " . 47 . 7b li r i in s a I e F a. r fit i l e n' t e l a d irc l .: l 4 : l d irc'# f ;ir toted l' 1% I. !le l , i: :: .'::4. :4'. . I facial lituation, had admitted that to 1... ti . • : e 4 ; ;: ' I that was not IS, nor had it that or.eratiou.La- ..*: 1 when the floppage of the Diftilkries took I . '. 1 ' the fad was, that the defalcation to the ii -I.l ' on:tbat occailon was soa,ossol. : there wa t „„ 14 ",... eafional increase of duty on ac °Qom of thc—.: , tation of foreign (pinks, to theanssooat of 0i .,,, -- '` fo that the Whole of the real loft. to th e i It - . ''.. narrow matteras ' .--- was only 4 00 , 00 0 1 . : httt thisavas too coziij et r e l 4 %„„ ; l— fun to be defcribed use vbeoalguligrecle:draaghtlideslaveirnteloperldnto:stattii.rTaveielhfirt:"4oobn: laht:tiotwvidstiudealFfili4‘fri4:ihesinewen:',,fthehLotreoiiiB;.:,h.yn:thuiii::,l4:l-: th niiilisk ll!4. 4 at nourable difpofition and laudable fcein.,., c 4.1 -' N thh i p n e a e g th fe e dit e i ef azi k as e Ott:tali:44-Di. iron. isi4Filyritillerdidare..ll.,apfne:bdlnty no.tii6aYtivtehrte'stv:P.:::'"4ll st::: r e xi :is e iioa . ,..4 '.4 • don of the' !heti' Id have deterred him front giving his I . ' — 1 , 1 „ 41 4 / 4 1 to diftillation from Moieties, would be to thegeneral interefts of the community 1 b ut h e was perftmeled that the general iatereft u the community would not be preferved by the e a . couragernent his Hon. Friend recommei:.ekel to dl Ciliation from Molaffes. The true interefts of the community embraced mofi particularly an encou. ragement to the malt manufafturer and the grower of grain, fo asaterially connected with the agricui, cure of g antry, on theprofperity and imire ta ..l as ine w ill ell 9l :a w s Iliftecels:hiPeonfdethde ctmniamnteeunicrel:ftlyi:rdiltiolsee9f:dillakt::: lotion of Molaffes was a trade that could be car tied on by a capital which was much inferior to that which was indifpenfably t h e -t ra de of diftillation of Grain. The trade of the diftilhuion in Moieties was inferior in every re fped to the other diftillation ; the apparatus wits very different, and fo was atmoft every thine ki the trade flans the diftillation Of Grain. The-dif. tillery of Isloltiffes was a trade which might be tied on in a corner ; whereas t'iofe Jelin :;ill;,;, from Grain, could do no hitch thirz. This w ,,,, ' point of finne import apce, cfpeciail; to thole nhu:e trade it was to distil from Crain, - and of knew-. tanee for the confide.ratkm of the Houk. It was a great fatilfadion to him to find that alibis Huy Ft sends had agreed in one principle, Which tangle to guide the daerminations of that Hook, evli:4 was indeed its paramount obligation, namely, to look at-that which; upon I. comprehenfive 1:41; might be (aid to conftitute the inter:llot the echoic community ; that was, in other words, the gene. ral interefts of die people—i;l which he apprchcres. cd encouragement to the F rodmiti,n of Corn ltrat confpicuoully forward. This was a principle u which he thought the Houk mul always rely, rapport which they ought to acqUiefce in meafur which could not otherwife be jullified, and in time of preffure that might be felt to be little filet if calamity, but at aU times to do that which teoded to encourage agricul tore. For thee purports, ad to obtaid this object, uhich was the real advantap of the people at large, the Hattie muff often fact. ficr; immediate and temporary feeling, for perms , nent advantage ; for they were not to purchafe pip fent convenience and fuperficial aoprobation,at tfe bitter price of fell reproach, a debt which would be due to their conference, if upon rulledlion they found they had given way to temporary feeling prelTure, and facrificed permanent advantage (is that permanent advantage he iacludcd ail pal encouragerhent) to the prod udions oldie earthAal more immediately that of grain, which was the* keel of diftillation. At queltion might indeed milt What was the .pbint of limitation as to the atitlise tion of that principle ? It was, in his (Tinian, se trensely difficult to fay, at what price of the ati do this application •of prineirl.: fnould .ceak. k was impotUble so fix the price kiln-Ai:tied, becauts that muff depend on other, awl relative paints, embracing a confideration of the price of other au ticles : and indeed it would be difficult to fay whit the price fhould be ofthe different articles of grail itfelf, with reference to each other 9 in su der toil when the ufe of it for diftillatioo fhould be mar bited. His Honourable Friend had referred ar:is Petitions on the table on the fubjed now Wein the Houfe. He admitted they were but few is number, but he contended they esprefT. J thefeak of the majority of the people of this Country, is which his Honourable Friend implied that helm' erred in what he Paid on that fubjed on a foram oceafion. That was a delet2ivc statement delft he Paid on that fubjed. He never laid there PeW tions did not exprefs the fenfe of the majority el the people ; he only laid, he had yet to learn tit they did exprefs that link : he had that to kas now, for there was certainly no proof of it; be even if they did exprefs the fentiments of the art jot ity of the people, yet, if he was convinced this fentiment was not in unison with the real intent of the people, painful as it would he to him to op• pole filch a fentiment, he fbould do it; for under filch circumfiances, he fhould be guided by a prin. ciplc which was paramount to that of toe no peo t p t l h e e , that e e:f n e fr platingplating o e e n w ti n a e ll i y t fe t h r e v i :L i t h , e i t rn % ! A fr t htl tax J: interells of the people that a Politician ereght to per fue.—When he laid this, he begged to be under flood as not Paying any thing to call in qntitiel the integrity of thole who had prefented petitions to the Honk on the prefent fuhjed ; they werts he was convinced, perfons perfeelly refredablea but the Hoftfe would at the fame time recoiled thif were pedons refiding in different ps rt. of the C.a I try, and they were to conneaed and cireurnitencti that it might without any harihnell lie f. , ;1 d them, that it was impoflible for them to have talos la comprehenfive view of the trne interefts , ! die 1 1 whole of the Community in which we fi ves aid of which, although perfedly veer. lablr, they formed only a (mall part ; but althot.:;is there Pe titioners had not, yet it was the d•.ty of that Honfe to take that general and e• trpr:!::r..i •e view of the interefts of the. whole Ccn.i.un ty ; and happily for the People of this Country ; there .t.t , in that bonfe abundance of knowled s ie o: 1.: , c . intereft, and a difpofition to prefer:: iss —lt k :-1 ,.. been laid by Come, by none Co rc4Lte.ily a, t.. ,41 , ~ 'T' f I '1 • 1