Star. — London, England, 1802-04-28 00:00:00

FRANCE. A letter from Vienna, dated April 8, fays—The Qya row of NAP Las having recovered from her ill nets, perfitts in her refolution of undertaking a journey to Spain in the fpring. A courier has therefore been difpatched to Italy, to make the neceffary arrangements for that purpofe. A letter from Nantes, dated April 19, lays— A new frigate, to be called la Belle Poule, was hunched the day before yellerday, at la Baffe ' Indre, a £mall village on the River, at the diflance of two leagues below this city: it is to carry 44 guns, aft of which arc to be 18-pounders. In the courfe of a month, another of the fame force, to be called la Surveillante, and a corvette will be launched at the fame place. A letter from the Hague, dated April 16, lays —General VicTok has been recalled to Paris: he let out two hours after the arrival of a courier, who brought him difpatches from his Government. The Legit'Wive Body this day ratified the Treaty of Amiens, and the additional Convention between the French Government and ours. The ufe of belh for announcing divine worfhip. forbidden fi nce 795, it is laid, is going to be revived : the Govern ment mean to propofe it to the Legiflative Body. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, APRIL a 7. Mr. ADAM and Mr. GI LLIES were heard on the part of the Appellants in the Appeal Caufe, the Incorporation of Platers (Butchers) of the City of Edinburgh a. the Lord Provoft, Magiftratr, and Town Council of the faiii City. The further hearing of Counfel was adjourned till to-morrow. Lord HOLLAND parented a Petition from the Prifoners confined for Debt in the Gaol of llcbeftcr, praying raid. Several private Bills were brought up from the Commons. Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The StCRETA TIT at WAR pvc notice, that on Thurklar he fhould move that the Militia Bill &mild be re-committed. The Port of London Improvement Bill was read a third time and paffcd. _ o;ilered, on the motion of Mr. ALRIANDIIit, that a Coln mince mould be appointed to prepare an Eftimate of the Al lowance. to be made to the Adjutants and &leant Majors of the Militia difembodicd. The Houfe in a Committee went through the frith Bank Reftridion Bill, the blank for its continuance was filled up with three months after the expiration of the Ertel& Bank Reßrielion Bill, and the Report was ordered to be received to morrow The fecond reading of the Irilh Controverted EleCtion Bill was poltponed to this day fe'nnight, and the Commi ttee on t h e kAtt kith Navigation to Thurfday next. Mr. AiEZANDZIL brought up the Report of the Committee on the Exchequer Bills Bill After a few word+ from Mr. Jones, to the fame purport as thole of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Robfon) yefterday, the Report was agreed to, and tom: Bill or dered to be read a third time to-morrow. MESSAGE FROM THE RING. The CMANCILLOR Or' Tilt EXCHEVIIR pre• Tented a Meffage from his Majesty, which was read by the Speaker as follows :-- " GEORGR R. " His MA) ZSTT being defirous of making a competent pro vitae for his dearly beloved ions, their Royal Metriclles the Dukes of STSIZZ and CAMISILIIOI, and the money applicable to the maintenance of ►is Majefty's Civil Lilt being infuißcient for the fame, his Majelty clams the *Mance of Parliament, and relies that his faithful Commons will make foci prOvifion as the circumilantes of the cafe fain to require." Ordered, on the motion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that the Mcirage be referred to the Committet of Supply. • THE EILFNEE OF WALES. Mr. TTIMUITT laid, that he had it in command from his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales, to mention that a flue- Inept of the claims of his Royal Highnefs to the Arrears of the Iluchy of Cornwall, had been fome time Since fubmitted to . the Lord Chancellor for his Lordfhip's confideration ; but that In confequence of that Noble Lonrsindifpofition, he had not yet delivered any opinion upon the fubJett, or he (Mr. T.) fisould now take eceallon to tender a motion to the Houle re lative to thole claims. He role, however, now to give notice, that at. loon .as the Lord Chancellor's opinion thould be obtain ed, he would male a propofition to the Houk accordingly. MI. PITT. Mr. Ntenotts gave notice that he would, on Friday k'n night, more an Addrefs of Thanks to his Majefty for haring 41E03114A the Right Han. William Pitt from his Councils. IRISH TEM. On the Report oldie Selea Committee relative to the pri vileges of Irina Peers. being Weight up by Mr. Bragge, who Rated to the Houk. in general terns, the nature of the feveril refolutions contained in that Report, Mr. BA NKS mentioned fame objediona to it, contouring that they thould be equally excluded from an interferenee in the eledlion of Members to ferve in Parliament in like manner as Britigt Peen am Mr. BRAGG?. replied, that the Refolutior.s went to the WI extent that the Hon. Gentleman required, as they were ex preisly prohibited all filch interference, but where inconformity to the As of Union, they become Commoners, which at any time they might do; and, be added, it would be bard indeed, if whilit they were excluded from the Privileges of the Peerage, they bould ago be precluded front their Rights as Commoners. Itefolutions were then read and agreed to. ISM COURTS: _ - - Mr. Laton rote, purftiant to notice, to move for leave to being in a Bill to make tome new arrangements in the Mai Courts of Law. The °Weds of his Bill he explained to be, to put the las Courts upon the fame Inundation As thof.l of Weitmiolter-hall, and to make the Courts in Ireland indepen dent of each other; that is to fay, to fettle the line of each Court'. jurlfdirStion, for as they were at prefent adminiftereil, upon the principles of the old common law, Niters were liable to be entangkd in many embarraffroents from which fuitors in England were free. Another objedi of his Bill w,,uld be. to Prevent vexatious and frivolous arreits—th a t no one m ou ld b e arrefted in Ireland for any fum under tot.; as fuch was the law in England, be hoped there would be no objedion to this part of the Bill, or indeed to any part of a poled which had the unanimous approbation of the lrilh Judges. The lion. Mein• ber concluded with moving for leave, Bre : purfuant to his fiatemenr. Mr. Mooaa exhorted the Houk to palate before they Mould adopt an innovation, which to his knowledge was decidedly difapproxed of by the late refpedted Lord Chancellor of Ireland. As to thr kitteipart of the Hon. Gent innan's Bill, it was wholly utincc..X.iry, as iii fat any pcafon areited in lreland t.ir a lets turn titan teL was liberated on common bail, finer the I-1w on that fat.jeet had been wafted in Euglaud.--Leave was given to bring in the Bill. Exec/al', ISEPORT,•ND TONNAGE. DUTY. The CHANCELLOR of the Excirmyva moved fur the committal of this bill. • General Gascoacma vie, and commented at fame length on the nature and tendency of this ntealure. He WAS furprized that the Right Hon. Gentleman had not, in making this motion, given hone reafon for the exemption of Ireland from thcfe taxis—an exemption which would operate as a ht.iais in Eivotir of the merchants and matiufac- Niel:4 that country, to the di(tdvantage of ling- I lag , I. • When Ireland, in the }car Igo, was ad ?flitted to a participation of our 'American and Welt India trade, it was by the Aft of the Britifh Parliament, under the exprefs condition that duties fhould be laid by the Irifh Parliament on all goods imported from, and exported to, thai fettlements, equal to the duties on the fame articles in Eng land. He fame nothing in the articles of Union to abrogate this Aft, and yet the bill before the Houle would go virtually to repeal it. The pre cedent, lie thought, would be extremely danger ous. No fuch exemption from taxes was ever granted to Scotland ; and it would be a curious queftion to confider, whether one part of the Mem -1 hers of that Houle were to fit and vote on the im polition of taxes which were riot at all to profs up on their own .conflituents, but rather operate to their benefit by prejudicing another part of the empire. It was admitted by all, that our trade had been Tome time in a flagnant Rate and with ! out any very flattering profpea of a fpecdy change. Was it prudent, he would aft(, under !bell circtun -1 fiances, to lay a tax on the carrying trade, parti culaely when it was confidered that lor Tome years back we had employed in our commerce not lets , than four foreign (hips for one Englifh ? and that the foreign feamen which had been connefted with ' lour's during the war, had been very materially im- proved. Thofe duties together would, in his opinion, in many inflances exceed the freight, filch 1 as in the cafe of tallow, coffee, and other articles. By the exemption of Ireland from thefe duties, coffee might he told at Cork at Bs. per cwt. lefs than the merchants of London could accept for it.— , Such would be the effect of this ill-adviled fyllem ! of taxation, a fyllem to unequal, that he was per ' ' fuaded were any thing like it propufed, ac oiler -1 ating to the difadvantage of Ireland, the Irith ' ' Reprefentatives would be ftrenuous in their oppo fition, and would contend againft it as an infringe. ' ment of the Union. A Noble Lord had mention ed on a former day, that enquiry would be made into this fubjeft, but nothing bad been Rated a. to the refult of this promifed enquiry. He hoped however that the idea of extending thefe ditties to ' Ireland would not be given up, and he had no , doubt, that from the liberality of the frith mer chants and manufaftnrers, they would cheerfully r fubmit to a tax which was equally to affeft their British fellow-fubjefts. The Hon. Menber contta , lifted the affertion, that this was but the revival of • lanI an old tax, becaufe there was not the lea ft analogy between the prefent and the period at which that tax was first impofed ; a period when the public danger was fo imminent, and the public wants fo prefling, that taxes were fubmitted to without ex amination on the part of men in trade. With re. • fpeft to the Ratement, that this meafure was only defigncd as a trial, and that it Would be repealed if found injurious—(itch in fad was the cafe with every tax, for doubtlefs the Chancellor of the Ex chequer would not perfift in any plan that (hould ; not be found to anfwer its purpole ,• but the Right Honourable Gentleman ought to retie& that when trade was once diverted from its accustomed Chan , nels, it was very difficult to recover it again. To corroborate this opinion, he should quote a recent , inftance—it was that of rock fah, the exportation of which Parliament thought proper to prohibit ' tome few years back, as it might be ufed in making ' faltpetre ; and the confequence was, that from the port of Liverpool, which was in the habit of ex porting 30,000 tons of rock falt annually, only ' 1 110 tons had been exported fince the figning of the Preliminary articles of Peace. This fervid to thew the impolicy of attempting innovationsin the source of trade. The Hon. Gentleman noticed that there were at prefent not lets than thirty trading velfels out of too lying idle; and combining this cir cumfiance with the number of our gallant feamen who were out of employment, and who, if not at tended to, might go to other nations to fearch for bread, he exhorted the Houfe to (pare commerce until it had recovered its fpirit and vigour. When a complete dircliftion of all former opinions, as to commerce, teemed to prevail among men in power, when treaties were fuppofed to be of no value, it was to be lamented that the Houfe Biould confent to let this bill $o to far without appointing a com mittee to enquire into the Rate of our trade, and the nature of our foreign relations. The Hon. Gentleman concluded with aliening, that this bill would lay nearly a double duty on our (hipping, if the expense of the feveral articles ufed in building and repairing !hips were taken into account, and that too at a time when the value of our fhipping was materially reduced. The CHANCELLOR of the Excti scursa faid, he heard with much concern the fentiments of the Hon. Gentleman. He indeed thought it impoffible that any perfon could, under the prefent eircum. fiances, oh ed to the principle of this bill ; and if the Hon. Gentleman's oppofition was not to the principle altogether, his oppofition in that Rage `of it was irregular. He heard the opinions of the Hon. Gentleman with regret, becaufe coming from the Reprefentative of a place where capital had been to fuccefsfully exerted dining the war, and the inhabitants of which were as Jiftinguith ed for public fpirit and patriotilin as any part of the Empire ; but the Honourable Gentleman `ought to con fi der, that the fairell principle• of taxation was to diftribute it among the differ. I eat claffes of the community according to their relpeftive capacity ; and that the greater (hare of the public burthen (b wild fall upon thofe wliofe profits had been increafed and saugmented hri the tattles which-produced the neceffity for laying on thofe burthens- . It fhould he remembered that-, the Convoy Duty was not originally impofed as the price of the aausl attendance of convoys, but from the conlideration j!ift Rated ; for by the attive and gallant exertions Of our navy, the -I mei-el:ants found it fate and vary to carryon their i trade to any part of the world without the pro. teftiiin of a Ihip of War, yet the merchants ever cheerfully contributed to the tax. The quellion. now was, whether there was Inch a mange of cit.; ct:m:tances between the time at whichth.tt tax-was laid on and the prolent, as lhould it,:itice thelltnife to abandon it ? 'Mai: f r the necedity for this tax was lb fir done away as to difpofe Parliament to deprive the State of this ;mini& ,ant bocce of re venue ? It was remarkable that tiri objedion had been made to the principl.t of thi- tax lot the fats i three years 'al:a that notwithridnding this preffure, of which the lion. Gentleman complained, the commerce of the country had, under its operation, DOOR materially improved. The Right Hon-Gen tleman read an extrAd from a paper laid before the Houle at the elofe of lad Serf - ion, to Phew the progrels of the cot - mut-I-cc of the country fince the year 1792. This paper dated the exports in Colonial product in t 793 to amount toJ9,ooo,ociol. in 18ot to 29,92 tapool. Qf Britifh manufaaures in 1793 to 18,000,0001. ; in 18ot to 24.,t0ct0,0001. Of foreign merchandize in 1793 to 6000,00a1. in 18ot to 17,000,0001. In 1793 the number of !hipping employed in trade 16,000, feamen 121,42 e ; in 1831, Blipping 18,898, feamen 143,000. The Right Hon. Gentleman obferved, that theeatell incroaf:. in there feveral items was during the years 1800 and !Sot, when this tax was in operation ; and as our trade was, notwith- Handing, found In confiderably to increafe, it was a fit lubjed for grave deliberation, whether the Houle would now allow of filch an important de• Ideation of the revenue as the cetration of this tax would produce. As to what our commerce would in future be—all that could be raid on that fubjea might he called the language of fuppofi- Lion and conjedure. but he could not feel any ap prehenfion, that this country would not be en abled to maintain that footing in the commercial world the had hitherto held from the fuperiority of her capital, her fpirit of entermize, and her good faith. Thefe might, as or. a former day, be termed fine words—fo they were ; but they were alfo folid principles and inconteflible fads. Thefe were the grounds , of that pre-eminence which made it difficult, if not abfurd, in any Power in th f .- Univerfe to enter into competition with her.. The Hun. Gentleman talked of the danger of our (Lip ping being diminifhed in number and value ; but without meaning to make any invidious compari lons, the Houfe would furely reco il e d th a t from the difficulty of finding even fufficient (hipping for an important expedition in a quarter to which the country would be difpofed to look with molt anxie ty, no alarm would be entertained on that bead. The extenfive employment of foreign (hi ping arofe from this obvious caufe—the amazingly en larged (cope of our commerce, which our own (hipping, though fo numerous, were inadequate to Cup* ; therefore, our Merchants were obliged to have recourfe to the velrels of other nations ;. fuch was the plain folution of that whi c h f ee m e d • fo much to furprife the Hon. Gentleman. With, refpea to the complaint of the Hon. Gentleman, that this Bill would grant an indulgen-c to Ireland that would be injurious to England, he requefted the Houfe and the Hon. Gentleman to confider the difference between the capabilities of die two countries. It was unneceffitry to enter into a mi nute explanation to prove the great diffimilarity between them. Would to GOD that diffimilarity did not exift ; he hoped the time would come when it would be done away, and that every branch of trade would be equally enjoyed by all parts of the united kingdom. From the inferior capital of Ireland, it would be unfair and illiberal to make fuch charges upon her as fhe could not endure. — Some years mug elapft before (he can become qualified to meet that fyftem of taxation, though from the (irides the is capable of making, he truft est thofe years would not be many. It was grange this charge of partiality to Ireland was not made laft year, though' that country enjoyed the ex emption the Hon. Gentleman now walled to re move; indeed Ireland was never fubjea to the convoy duty.-.He did not with it to be undertlood that it was his intention to propofe the continuance of this exemption under all circumflances. The Bill was altogether a Bill of Experiment ; and if the Irith Merchants fhould be hereafter found :tble to bear this Tax it fhould be extended to them ; and if it fhould operate injurioufly to the Englifh merchants it would be abandoned entirely. In . (hating that Wales and Scotland were fubjea to all the duties impofed on England, and afking why therefore Irelind fhould on this occafion be ex empted, the Hon. Gentleman was miftaken ; for if he would enquire farther, he would find that Scotland was free from feveral taxes prevailing in. England, among which were thofe on beer and malt to a certain degree, and that on felt. There were in faa many differences in the application of the principles of taxation to England and Scotland. The ftapation of our export trade arofe from caufes that were perfealy obvious, if not to the Hon. Gentleman, at teal to the inerelnititc ; it was merely a fufpenfton of trade, proceeding from the with commercial men very naturally felt to avoid the circuitous route in which they were obliged to convey their goods during the war, and in the daily hope that the conclusion of the ne gociation for peace would open to them a dired route. It was quite true, as the Hon. Gentleman Hated, that the price of freight would be much re duced, but by no means true,that the Blip owners would on that 'account, or even in confequence of this tax, be likely to lofe, for if the reduCtiOn in the price of feamen's wages, of provilions, in furance, and the feveral articles of outfit should be taken into the Hon. Gentleman's calculation, he would find that the (hip owner's profpcd was not In unfat;ourable as he now feemed to Ilippofe. The Right Hon. Gentleman begged the Houle to recoiled that this - tax had now been tried and I found produdive upwards of three years ; it was now brought forward in pltrfuance of the advice, sand after a confultation with fome of the moll in telligent merchants in England; bad hecn feveral weeks in agitation, and a cootie it was.not liable ! to the epithet of a rafh or hady meafiire, is‘tlie Hun. Gentleptan Hated. In the Committee, How ever, .it was intended to propofe fume modifica tions..in this Till; .and the fuggeftion of any - thing whielf coula:tead to the accommodation of the Merdliants world from him, and lie had no doubt fr,orn the Corrlnittue; meet the molt refpeaful at tcntion. As it was propofed in the courfepf the ntift Sett,bn to . .confolitiate all, the Cullom:, Cm• denten would have an opportunity of reviewing all the items of this Bill, and might then date their realons how far the trial had been unruccefsful.— Thit, with the means he had Hated. Would fervc, lie hoped,' ;_o reconcile the Houfe to the adoption ' a this mealure, and prevent them from being ii flaeneed by the arguments of the Hun. Ger.tt-. man, which, .hOwever fpecions, be relied, %%ere without force to perfuade them to allow a gr:at branch of thc.puhlic revenue to be fritteied :may. On the lubjeel of 'the linen trade of Ireland, Cie Right Hon. Gentleman took occafion to that it was intended to equalize the duties on flax and linen yarn in England and Ireland, a pi.,l wrongly recommended by a fente of jualee t.) the Englith manbfaaurer—the Irith manufaCturer had heretofore too much the advantage in this poim General GASCOIGNE role to explain, and iig.l:ll alluded to the liipulations made between Great Britain and Ireland, by the A& of ;786, whic;lhe confidered as binding on this country. ..The CUANCP.I.I.OI2. of the EXCHEQUER, in rei..!‘ , , obferved, that England had at that time the po w , of granting a boon, and the gave to Ireland th:: light to trade in her colonial produce, under cer tain Ili/Ml:aunts. But the At of Union, by put ting both countries on an equal footing, completely did away the Ait of i7e6, and all the Ripulations annexed to it. Sir ROBERT PE k fa:d, it was with great TT illetaTlCe and diffidence he role to fpeak againit ti.e prefent Bill, when he confidered that thofe had brought it forward mull have had v.eigliry realons for doing lb. The fituation its which the country flood now was very different from vs-h-t it was in time of war, when we had power oy , :r atmoft every post in Europe; and when ou r rivals in trade could not meet us in foreign mar kets. If heavy duties were now to be laid on ;I : , manufactures of thi; country, the foreigners, « hv were in the habit of uling them, would get err.rn at a cheaper rate from other countries. At tr:. time the Convoy Duty had been laid on it met wig ; his approbation, becaufe lie confide:ea it iteeeffir y at that particular critic, and Ire thought it would have ceased with the war. If the inequality duty with regard to England and Ireland, lac.: as was proposed by the Indent Bill, fr. ,- uld place, it would be pi ()dative of great inju r y t the manufadures of this country. From the irru. ation of Ireland, the local advantages fhe paffeffed, and the comparatively low price of provisions arra labour, the rum of teoel. employed there in nr.l• titnitaures would Lc much mrre produdive than the fame fum here ; and therefore he wifi:d rise Houle to confider the consequences of the pre:•.•:c nteafure, which, in his opinion, trenched up.on tire Ad of Union, and went to Shake it to its very foundation. The 6th Article of the Union aated, that both countries were to be put on av footing; but it never meant that Great Br.t.t.n fhoulif worfe lunation than Ireland. Mr. CORBY obferved, that the Bill was noWag more than the continuance of a tax which had al ready exiftcd, and under. which the trade of tht country had Hourithed in a very high degree. Ile could not help giving it as his opinion, that L.,;.! Of thofe dangers (tilted by two Hon. Members ‘v e; i• to be apprehended from the meafere ; and with regard to what was called the Colony CompaCt 1780, that was an Aft by which the Sovereignty of Great Britain did at the time impart to lielanl a right to trade to her colonies under certain con• ditions, by which Ireland was at liberty to enjoy that trade as long as the chore. But that cornpaft was completely immerfed in the Aft of Union : it was completely annihilated by the compaft of tl.e Union, which was an Union of the Sovereignty of both countries. At the time that compaet seas Made; the countries were feparate and Min& but as foon as they became one kingdom, filth a compaft: could no longer exift ; and theretOre could not now be binding on either of the parties. It fhould be fairly underilood as a principle of the Union, that the rights of the two countiies we:-e the fame. Tile article of the Union quoted by the Hon. Baronet related to the rights of trade. Tl,e prefent meafure was a mere quet}ion of taxation. It was much to be wifhed that no diflinition what• ever remained even in regard to the taxation iez tween England and Ireland, but that both coan• tries hid been placed on an equal footing ; but in palling tht . A4l - of Union it had been found neccf farY to regulate the taxation of Ireland in a diffe rent manner from that of England, the tourer country was to pay a much (mailer proportion.— The Exchequers of both countries were different ; it could nor,. therefore, be contended that there ought to be a fimilarity in the taxes of both. Le defied the Hon. Baronet to thew that the taxes of Ireland ought to be equal to tilde of England, and therefore he was wrong in taking his groned for that equality on the Aft of Union. 'rile taxes of both countries were different in their objeft in their amount, and were to continue lb twenty years longer. It was abfolutely neeeffary therefore that they fhould be feparate, in order that they might be in favour of a country which Figs unable to undergo fuels a weight of taxation as preffed on Great Britain. In faft, it was his opi nion that the circumaances in which Ireland flood at this time were fuch as could not jade the Un polition of fo large a duty on exports and imports as that to be paid by this country. In the coarir of a few days he fhould have occafion to lay before the Iloufe dude taxes which he intended to propeft to be laid on Ireland, and then he would endea vour to convince the Hon. Baronet that the wholr of his argument was without foundation ; but lir. Would now endeavour to remove the fears %dial the. Hon. Baronet had entertained for the fates: of the cotton manufacture of Great Britain, by a few facts. The quantity of cotton wool inipoi tea into Ireland in the courfe.of one year, did net amount to more than the value of 17,0001. while that imported into Great Britain was equal to fun' of 2,391,9111. the value of the manufaain . .il Cotton exported from Ireland in one year ea, more than 12,1351. the value of that exported ft ~.n: Great Britain, in a year, amounted to 4,175(.;: and of dick goods fo exported, a quantity c 1 ••• in value to 140,0001. was fcnt annually t' . 1:e:•1! for the confumption of that country. It ."': therefore very likely th a t I re l an d wou ld e nter U. a competition in foreign markets with this U Y for a fpecies of manufafture, of which file large a quantity. He was happy to hear the Baronet lily, that tocol..could be laid out tlh 1:c• Lind in the cotton t ra d e , to more advantage . ;r1 this country : h e w as h a ppy t o h ear hirr:ci: