Star. — London, England, 1826-03-15 00:00:00

• . S' tit in'atd ViCittit4 i r t f which it Was f WA* iterera a nalmeisitedd it those Menthe ouhregione etwhiels it was of Impirtenee that this ahossid avail itself; and U from any narrow principle of r Bak India Contra, should . he Induced to put a period ' teen which had heen 99 happily introduced, the Ira it'crea s "g , would trad9l4l4, loh into insignikance, and prowet4 of advantage to ourselves, and of improvement in ... groat empires with which the intercourse had been opened, would at once - be cwt ulf aid disappear. To the facts already stated, his Lord.hip added thesiontbst of scoria which had entered the port in two years and a half had been 2,882, of which only 233 were British property, or Commanded by British officers, and upwards of 2 .000 IMO* Rh Lordship concluded by moving, "An Ac count of tbri-mtports and imports of Singapore, daring the years . 1821, 1•21, sotrine; rod, wigwam account of the damage each yeoreallilikhltiog the:emsetries to which the vessels belong." Ord. )*.• hlatiCtliti PSTITION. arquis of LANSDOWN also presented a petitaun in favour of the Promissory Notes 3tll, front the Chamber of Commerce olManchester, and observed, that the _ pretties of such a body of men, connected as they were with the selfra , of agent of the country which had the advantage of enjoying currency, must be regarded as of great importance in con .. litisMaestioa• Tar .Eari of LAUDERDALE observe that the "Gettlemen who had signed this Petition said that there were no local notes hunk in Manchester, but the O'rculation of Mancliediprineipally oentimed of notes issued at dia . -cent places NM* eight, or nine milts of Manchester. lie held in his band opeeimess of bee of these, which bad been issued within twelett,sisiles of that town. These notes were even payable in Manchester, where there were agents who were appointed for the purpose of cashing them, afld they formed in fact, the principle medium of circulation anlong the tradespeople of Manchester. The )I.toquis of LANSDO ..VN said he had no local knowlidpe of Manchester. The manufacturers had evidently been sensible of the mischief attending the circulation of honk news, and opposed themselves to the establishment of such backs in the town, and had done every thing in their power to Myr= the adoption of such a circulation. The 'Earl of LIVERPOOL supported the statement of the Noble Marquis. The opposition of the Merchants and Traders in Lancashire to the Circulation of one-pound notes, ought tcrinduce the Oahe to pass the Bill on their tabk,—The Petition laid on the table. PROMISSORY NOT! RILL., 'The Earl of LIVERPOOL moved the creek of the . day for the second reading of the Promissory Note Bill. He should not long detain their Lordships, as he did not expect any , oppositioa to the motion ; he should, howeveir,,be ready to enter into explanation if required .by any Noble Lord, upon particular points of the Bill. The Bill was brought forward to put an end to the cit.• ettfation of one-pound notes only in England. With tespeci to 'Scotland and Ireland* it was his intention to move on Friday for a Select Conuniuee, to inquire into the system of bank ing carried on there. He did not do this in consequence of any change of opinion l but in hopes that the subject would be tho roughly invettigated ; and in the end. he bad no doubt but that It would be seen, the proposed measure was highly desirable. Lord CAIiNARKCIN objected to the Bill on two grounds. rust. the time chosen for its introduction was ill judged ; and secondly, a paper currency, founded ppon a qietallic basis, was the most desirable one the country could posiess. Upon both these points. he should give the Bill his decided opposition. He depre cated the haste with Which this measure had been intioifficed. The evil which had arisen from the pre cipitate introduction of the Bill was perceptible in the eager wet with which a counteracting measure had been brought forward in the other House. He con ' . tl'it4ed. . tllbt England bad beta as subject to the prep , sure foistnaetctal embarrassments es any other king demoassit had suffered Reetely, both in its credit and • enisSilente. at periods when mien no pipet currency *Altera: Was It thee to be inferred, said the Noble' Earl, that the patricvdrich -had agitated the money padlcet.of late hmi its origin in the over issuing of paper?, the ye,aril7o3S, when that* was no encoded paper Axe fancy, the,cistrese was as great as at the present, :• rod if the present measure was persevered in, the evils would be considerably augmented. In thine days, r"itvben a paper currency was substituted for a metallic bne, every person felt the convenience of paper, and it was ,a lift, strongly corroborating the necessity of ,Piiiitir„iitat gold bad afforded the greatest inducements for highwaymen and others to plunder the bearers of that coin. Since the adoption of notes, the highway , m.o. had decamped, and his absence was to be attri buted mine to the czistence of piper than to the im provements of our Police. Upon a consideration of these points, he thought that no case had been made out to warrant the passing of the Bill, and particularly to those coentries which had done nothing to deserve such an arbitrary in terference. To extend the fatal effects of a wild speculation to those who were guiltless of the distress which had emanated from it, was inhuman in the highe.t degree. He called upon their Lordships to shut up, what be considered was, their Pandora's Box, and pause . ere they consented to fetter the commerce of its country ; though * in kis opinion, every step taken in this measure would be taken In vein. anti those who had stepped forward to assist in the measure would be ultimately compelled to retrace their steps. Ile concluded by moving as an amendment. that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Lord DARNLEY said, his Majesty's Ministers did but do their duty in stepping forward to protect the ee.intey from the effects of the errors into which it had fallen. His Lordship observed, that whether the other measures recommended to the Government that night, would in the end answer, he was not prepared to say; but he was of opinion, if Ministers had adopted the issue of Exchequer bills, the measure would have been more easy, and have acted more iapidly through the country. Ile had no objection to give the present measure his support. . Lord LIMERICK thcught it WAS impossible that a recurrence of bank failure could take place in Ireland, owing to the great principle upon which the banking system was now carritd on in the South; not merely penonal, but landed property to a great amount, and involving numbers of the most respectable individuals were surety to the public for the payment of their noted. The Earl of LIVERPOOL —B:fore entering upon the question, now before the House, f think it my duty, not to allow the observations which fell from the Noble Lord, who spoke last but one, relative to the re lief which Government ought to have afforded, to pass without some comment. I can astute your Lordships. that that relief was not refused from any attachment to preconceived opinions, or from any desire to stand firm it) the pledge which I had previously giver.; but from a conviction that it would be prejudicial and mischie mph and if ever I have been happy enough to tender any little service to my country, or any assistance or benefit to the commercial community, I never rendered more, to the best of my belief, than by resisting the call for Exchequer Bills. When it is admitted on all hands, that the late distress has arisen from overtrading, if Go veinnient bad set the example again of doing the same thing, great mischief would have ensued—the piece dent would have been constantly appealed to, and the ref y remedy have proved a means of bringing on the evil. A Noble Lord has übseived that the relief afforded has been the same in principle, *bough diffeienL in Prim. tice ; but I Leg to observe, on the other hand, that it is diffei tut bo h in principal and in practical effect. I have no difficulty in saying, that the ground of secrecy . on which Exchequer Bills were so eagerly serwht, was • a great and paiamount objection to such a mode of re lief, inasmuch as it tended to entourage future specu lation, and one main reason for ad 'piing that which tion from Manchester, whether they had any wish fyr secrecy ? and they declared that they had not the smallest, that they were ready to receive relief in whatever way it might be deemed proper to afford it. It was, however, much better that the great Bank of the country should do what it was authorised to do by its charter, by the I I w, and in the regular course of business, than that Goveinment should again interfere. If the Bank head been placed in difficulties by G itern mem, so as to be unable to afford the desited relief, then it would have been the duty of the latter to have set its shoulder to the wheel—to have come forward and done its best for the relief of the country. Three years ago, an application of the same kind, on the part of the West India interest, was made, and was resisted. The course which his Majesty's Government has pur. sued is all our own: it may be right, or it may be wrong. I think we have adopted the right course. If we had adopted the other course, we should have re leased ourselves from some Parliamentary difficulties anclembarrassments ; but those o e f. 1t it our duty to encounter for the purpose of doing that wl ich we con scientiously believe to be i ight. The Noble Lord (Car •narvon) has eulogized the paper currency, and enume rated the advantages which it possesses over a metallic currency, but there is one observation of the Noble Lord which I cannot avoid taking notice of—in the first place, .the Noble Lord has told. your Lordships that a metallic circulation would be an encouragement to the high wayman, and that we should have as many engaged in that way as we had before the existence of the one and 21. Bank notes. Upon that subject I certainly ought to feel interested, for I was a sufferer in that way when a school-boy—and a sufferer can best know the inconve nience,but I certainly cannot think that the inconvenicice will arise when I look back to ttle experience of the last four or five years, during which there were no 11. notes in the metropolis, and all persons travelling either to or from the metropolis had either sovereigns or gold pieces of some description. (Hear.) I think, my Lards, that the great evil of which the Noble Lord is so apprehen sive, has been, in a great measure, got rid of by a system which originated during the time that I had the honour to hold the seals for the Home Department— a system which has been since considerably i mproved— I mean the general police of the Metropolis ; but even that system, good as it is, would not probably have produced the effect, if it had not been connected with the general enclosure of the Commons throughout the country. The Noble Earl argues, as if he supposed, that the effect of this measure will be to put a stop to all speculation, to all enterprise, to all over trading. Now, my Lords, his Majesty's Govern- meet do not suppose that the measure will produce that effect. Indeed, past experience has shown that enterprise, speculation, and over•trading. may exist with a metallic currency ; but the opinion of the King's government is, as I have already had the honour of stat ing to this House, that this measure is a good measure, but that it could not 'produce the goad effect anticipated, with the mutt oductioo of a more substantial system of Banking—without the other measure which I had the honour of submitting to your LordAips, which your Lordships have adopted, and which is naw in progress in the otbar House of Parliament. The Noble Lord says, why not have the one and two pound Bank notes on the same footing as they exist in Scotland. • Bat, I say, that if we have any part of the Scotch system, we must have the whole of it. What, I ask your L srd• ship*, is that system ? In Scoland, they have a limited comber of Banks, and the whole business of the country is carried on by the agents of the bankers, acting as a check upon each other Out that cannot be done in Eng land, for there the Bank of England is in the way. But even suppose we had arrived at the year 1833, when the exclusive privilege of the 13 ink of England will expire, I say, it would be impossible to adopt a system of that kind ; every one who knows this courts.) , must be sa , tisfied that when the exclusive privilege of the Bank of England shall be done away with, the formation of Joint Stock Companies through the country will extin guish the great evils, by introducing a more solid sys tem of banking. I do not look upon the extinction of the small notes as a complete cure for overtrading— as a eotoplete cure for speculation, but I lot.k upon it as a most important check to overtrading and specu lation. In all the conversations which I have had with country bankers, and with the several deputations, I have found that all the more wealthy, all the more sub st 441 bankers said, that theme and two pound notes wore scare ly an objet' , that they would be as we ll th .. en out them, if a general law to that effect was to exist; and, indeed, my Lord., we have seen, by the late proceedings or the wealthy and the substantial bankers, that the issue of one and two pound notes is not a mea sure for. which they manifest any peculiar regard though,' do think it is otherwise with the lesser bankers —they exist by this circulation—it makes their profits ; and I think, when it is extinguished, that a more solid system of banking will I e introduced, and there will s of be that great number of small banks which are produc titre of great inconvenience to the counts'', and which - endanger the stability 01 the great ones. With respect to the circulation of the country, I mnst take this oppor tunity of stating a fact with which, perhaps, A 3 lily of your Lordships are unacquainted. In LOndon and Lan cashire, the currency, with the exception of attempts which have been of late made in the latter place. to force into circulation the notes of the adjoining counties, has for the last three or four years been me tallic—(Hear, hear).—When this fact is considered, it may, perhaps, appear singular enough that the cus toms of the ports of London and Liverpool amount to three-fourths of the customs of all England; that' the customs of the port of Liverpool alone ate nearly at? much as the customs of all England, with the excep tion of London, and that the excise of those two plaies amounts to three-fifths of the excise of all *gland. When I see that the business of those two great limbs . (as I may justly call t hem) pf t h e emp i re i s carr i e d .0n by a metallic currency,' I cannot see where the difficulty of making that currency general can rest. The Noble Lord supposes that the existence of a me tallic currency will produce a serious ei injurious effect upon the interests of the agricultural population. I ask the Noble Lord did not such a currency exist in all parts, commercial and agricultural, befote the year 1797? Did it then produce the inooovenienciss apprehendedby the Noble Lord ? I believe the party most beneficed in this way, if benefit can arise from net being subjected to lo,s s were the agricultural; and that, from the stop igtlthoughAtit, perhaps, , were mostly experienced in . I cement thinks my Lord. strafaineil his gfonnd cif oppn are not N r i, my Lords, trying any reverting te the state of the currency Anse pound notes, ne small notes, may years before. I admit _..e, unaccompanied by others, would n..t be bet accompanied with other measures, I am satisfied that it must produce great good. The E irl of LAUDERDALE thoroughly agreed in* many of the positions lai I down by the Noble Earl near him, still he felt himself called on to say a few words. The Noble Earl opposite (Liverpool) seemed to rely mainly on the difference between the English and Scotch system of banking ; and when preserd to adopt the Scotch system, he said, a Nn, 1 can't;" and he (Lard Lauderdale) could tell their Lordships why;, because the establishments in Scotland were founded on the best of all systems, that which had stood the test of ages—they were raised on thrtspirit of confidence which pervaded all ranks in that country. To give the people of England the same confidence would be impossible. The attempt to establish it would have just the same success that attended the drill made to force our Con stitution, the best certainly in the world, on other coun• tries. Such an a..tempt had been made in S'cily and Corsica ; and their Lordships no doubt recollected how fo..lish was the effort, and how utterly it failed. The fact was, that different systems were adapted to the state of .society in the different countiies When the subject of the Scotch Banks came more imme diately before the House, he would be prepared to satisfy their Lordships that 38,0001. was the •full amount of the loss which Scotland suffered from the failure of her Banks during the last century. He entertained no ob jection to the principal of the measure then under con sideration, and was ready to admit, that in agreeing to ' it, their Lordships would not go even so far as a return to the state of the circulation in 1796; but he diff red wholly from his Majesty's Ministers in the selection of the period for introducing the present measure. So far from deeming the present an opportune moment, he thought the announcement of the measure had the effect of increasing the panic, for since the meeting of Parliament, . when it was officially declared that confidence was re toted, the crisis had become more alarming, and he had no doubt but the Noble Earl opposite would live' to see it still worse. That Noble Earl thought that because the course of ex change had turned against this country, it was all to be attiibutel to an over-issue of paper; surely the Noble Eat must be aware that there ate various other causes which were sufficient to produce the same result. It might, for instance, be caused by the balance of trade or of payments being unfavourable to us, as well as by a depreciation of the currency ; and there were certain unerring marks by which it could be ascertained what thereal causes were. If the rates of exchinges were examined, as they appeared in the papers laid on the table of the House, it would be found that they had not exceeded that per centage; that it might not have arisen, for the balance of trade being against us,. in his opinion. it was impossible that an alarming depreciation of the cutreitcy could ever take place in this country, whilst bankers were obliged to pay their notes in gold. He was convinced, that if, after the failure of the insolvent banks, the evil :were allowed to work its,own cure, the country would enjoy more security for the future. It was always better he thought, when the• country got into a scrape; to let her get out of it without tampering with her estabti-hni nos... regretted the occasion selected by the Noble g,s a ti tbeintrodoceoa of his measures rather than their ptimeiple; and he trusted that the Noble Earl, when. he-brought hit proposition relative to the,§cutcli, Addis, "Kidd bt pr. pared to reconcile it with his former °pinioning that subject. The Earl of LIVERPOOL perfectly recollected the distinction which he hal drawn between the condition of the Scotch and Eng. lisp banking system. But when the proper time of discussion arrived, he expected the Noble Earl would be able to show him bow the present Scottish Banks could go en, according to the old plan, without any conn e ctio n w i t h t h e B r i t i s h B anks and the Bank of England. Ifkiini The Earl of LAUDERDALE. hoped to be able to show, that during the late struggles the Scottish banks had at least no recourse to England for assistance. lie knew that one of them had received in parcels of 10,000 at a time, to the amount of 100,000 sovereigns from this country ; but he also knew that more gold was, during the late crisis, drawn from Scotland into England, than bas sent from England to Scotland. In answer to a question from the Earl of DARNLEY. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that care would be taken to have weekly returns of the small notes issued during their permitted time of circulation. He could also assure their Lordship., that the Bank of England had no desire to keep their small watts in circu lation, and that it was with great reluctance they bad brought themselves to send them out during the panic in th e mont h o f December.—The bill w as then read a sd time, and the House Adj • HOUSE OF COMMONS, A Person from the East India Dock Company brought up a return of the Annual Disbursements of that Company.—Laid on the table. Sir E. ENATCHBULL preeented a.Petition from the Western part of Kent, praying for a further reduction in the duty on Malt; which, after a few words from Mr. Watas , in opposition to the l'etition, was ordered to be printed. Mr. FIX :%1 I N presented a Petition from the General Union Benefit Society of Portsea, praying the House not to make may alteration in the Laws relating to Benefit Societies.—Laid on the table. Sir It PARNELL presented a Petition from an individual of the Ciry of Dublin, praying the House to interfere in his behalf with thy Corporation of that City ; he had been denied the free dom of the City by that Body, to which he was fairly entitled, having gone through all the necessary forms and regutitions pre scribed by them ; hut nevertheless he had been refused the freedom of the city.—Laid on the table. nir. P. M ACQUKEN presented a Petition from the Coroners of the county of Bedford, praying for an increase of their fees.— Laid on the table. Mr. J. SMITH presented a Petition front the Bankers of the City of London, praying the .House to take into consideration the new Bankrupt Bill which had been introduced by an Hon. Gen tleman not long ago. The Petitioners, he said, were fully aware of the great benefit that would accrue to the whole commercial interest of this country. and they therefore prayed the House to let it pass into a law as soon as possible. Mr. BRIGHT was glad that kis measure Was approved by the respectable body of Gentlemen from whom the Petition had emanated. He sincerely hoped that the Bill he had brought for ward Would meet with the unanimous sanction of the House. A Merchant, he said, could not survive the disgrace of coming under the present Bankrupt Laws, which disgrace tended to render him inert as to retrieving tie lows and again becoming a useful mem ber efeoctety, because he was sure that be, would always have the Anger of scorn pointed at him. His Bill, be contended, would throw a different light upon transactions of that kind. Mr. ELkIS (of Dublin) supported the Petition, and highly approved of the prayer of the Petitioners. Mr. J. ShilTki and kIr.'BRIG HT both expressed their san gainewapeetatiens of the benefits that would arise from the pro- posed alteration of the law existing between debtor and creditor. Mr. LOCKHART said that the Bill his Hon. Friend had in troduced would remedy, monist other things, a clause which bad been inserted by the Lord Chancellor, but which bad been very much objected to. The Pedtion was laid ea the table and ordered to be printed. Mr. F. BUXTON moved for various returns relating to Sla very, Slave Population, kc. in the Mauritius and othet places.— Ordered. Mr. CALVERT presented a Petition from the inhabitalt4 of Hudson, against Slavery.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. DICKINSON resented a Petition from the inhabitant • has been grantikkwas, that it oitakttd kre known to whom page ar di s t hanks, the suffe,iin . . tunas p l ace d.* relief was alfordat thas‘e lien Millyetspectable Orions if:m . 6440 aOcuios of losses) if nitaastve sod papa.' ea this iebieer, said atm* btfiets,th*Oentlemen dot's. „agricultural distritts. 1 e that this eeeenu'Y Posiatibm eleputitioa frosts *Gl:tasters and I bate than the Noble Lord h 44 sulfa nsiPie of Paoli the A lletrlac 4 t0514 the" , wheat uprig4t Oct 4o94and holm idol ite this measure. W& are no a period to the sys-14 - . ~ I see esperiment. We aril revertin intend.% existed, there was any objection to the • trade so tar (ruin, to 1797, when we had no 4 tis ng s buy a metalll c currency, for Vance, and alt the ielief which tai hen -afforded - being shrew in a novenient in those public manner. I put the question to the depute- that this measure alone, unacc i omps ern opeeede 'wo uld°l ti t flOilt 51ancheitet, whether they had any wish practivabk, bat accompanied with o f .1...... L. -.........1 LI. _ V 'of Shepton I•tatlett, praylai fqr the abolidsa of Siavety.-- , Qtdett4 to be printed. Similar Petitions were presented from the town of Watilngtort, by Mr. Macrame ; from Cranbrook, Mailing, and Lenbam, by Sit R. KNATONBULL ; from Shrewsbury. and from the Clergymen of Newport, Solop. by Mr. Colmar?; from Tunbridge %Vella. and two other parishes in Kent, by Mr. Ilouarwooll, from the CooOtY of Cambridge, by Lord OSSORSIC ; from the County of Hetuford, by Mr. COltirr? ; and from Snuthwoid, inflow*, by Mr. Massa mousm—The Petitions were laid on the table. • On Mr. Burraawooru suggesting an amendoseol s this is gate Theatre Bill, a discussion anise between that Hon.. hipttihert Sir E. Kwarcsstru., and Mr. J. &arm. The amendment twat negarated without a division, and the Bill passed. CURRENCY. Mr. DUN DAS pretented two Petitions from the Inhabitants of Musselburgh and Edinburgh, against any alteration in the currency of that country.—Ordered to be printed. Mr. A. HAMILTON pre - tented a Petition from the Inhabitant of the Royal Burgh of La .vder, in Scotland, against any alteratiod in the curreoey of that kingitim.—Ordered to be printed. Similar Petitions were presented from Cupar, Angus, in Irefe. shire, Ly Mr. S. WORYLSY ' from the Provosts. Magistrates, others of the Burgh of Dondee, of the town of Perth, St. Andrews, Cupar, and from the Moderatut and Presbytery of Dund ee , by the Hon. Alr. LINDSAY. The Petitions wtre laid on the table, and many of them ordered to be printed. Lord A HA MI LTON presented a Petition from the County of Lanark against any alteration in the Banking System in Scotlaii.l. The Noble Lord strongly urged the prayer of the Petition on the considt r dion of the House. Mr. MONTF-ITH supported the Petition. Mr. A BERCROMBY said, that all these Petitions came from small bodies, and did not express the general opinion of Scotland. Mr. DU NDA S expressed his astonishment that the llon. Mem ber for the Borough of Calne shoold pretend to know the opinion of the people of Scotland better than all the other Members in the House connected with that country. The sentiments of the whole people were echoed through the country as with one voice against any alteration of the present system. Mr. ELLICE said, that when the merits of the ease were in vestigated, he thought it would be found that the Banks in Scotland would not be found more solid than those which had recently been exposed to such severe ruins in England. Mr. J. SMITH differed from the Hon. Member for Coventry and believed that the Scotch system of Banking would be found superior to all others. Mr. ELLICE explained. Mr. Tkl A BER LY said, that when the question came before the House he should oppose the change from a paper to a metal li c cur. rency in Scotland. Mr. H. DRUMMOND thought it extremely expedient that a Committee of - Inquiry should be appointed, in order that the facts of the case should be known. He was perfe:tly astonished to hear it said, that the opinions expressed by the Members of th.At House connected with Scotland were not the opinions of the country. , Mr. H. GURNEY said, he would advice the Right Hon. Chan cellor of the Exchequer to give way to the feeling of the Scotch na tion, and let the currency of that country remain at peace. Mr. BARING said, he believed the inquiry might be snide without the least danger to the Bankers of Scotland, for there was no body more able to meet such an ordeal. He thought the ap pointment cf a Committee as present would be injudicious. Yet the general measure would he of no use unless souse time or other extended to Scotland and Ireland. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER bad moved for a Commune for the purpche of enabling the House to determine on the inexpediency of having a circulation in Scotland different from that in England; and to either convince him of the erroneousness of his views, or to convince the people of Scotland of the policy of extending to them the new Currency Laws of England. Mt. HUME thought the system of Banking was bad, and ought therefore to he remedied. lie maintained, that the people of Scot- land were united as one on the present question. Mr. A BEIICROM BY declared that these Petitions al( came from small bodies of persons, and not from the people of Scotland. The Petition was then brought up, and ordered to be primed. Mr. BANKS presented a Petition from the Trustees tif tke British Museum, for the Annual Grant. The LORD ADVOCATE presented a Petition from Virligtowa and from Leith, against any alteration of the Currency of Scotlatil. Sir F. OM M A NNEY presented a Petition from certain farmers, &c. in Leitrim; praying for encouragement to emigration. • Sir R. WILSON gave notice that be would to•morreve move for a return of all trav - elling expenses charged by the C.ominissioners of Bankrupts, during the last three years. Mr. HU 31 - E gale notice that he would to-ntorrvw more for a return of all the Cumin Debtors hi conenenient at prelim& Tins same Hon. Member presented a Petition from as individual named George H. Thompson, praying for compensation for certain lossei in consequence of the proposed change of currency, sustained by him in his office as Commissioner of the Court of Chancery. Mr. SYKES presented a Petition from the Candle Makers of Edinburgh, for a repeal of the Duties on Tallow. Mr. MA BERLY moved for a return of the gross net amount of the Revenue arising from the Excise, Post Office, Stamp Office, &c. for the first nine weeks of the year 1325, and for an account of Balances in the Exchequer Office en the 6th of January, 1825, with the Receipts up to the same date in 1826, showing an account of the balance in hand. Both motions were agreed to. Lord J. RUSSELL presented a Petition from Huntingdon against Negro Slavery. Mr. S. RICE presented a Petition from Comae', in the comity of Limerick, for the encouragement of emigration, and one from an individual named John Martin, against the Pawnbrokers Act. Lord NUGENT moved for a return of the Salaries paid to the Governors, Lieutenant-Governor, Officers of the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, Slave Courts, to Attornies Generat, kc. &c. of Jamaica, and the Leeward Islands, distinguW►ing the salaries paid Irons home, and those which were regulated by the Assembly of the said Colonies.—The motion was agreed to. 'MIGRATION. • Mr. WILMOT-NORTON said, he. rose for the pur. pose of bringing forward the motion of which he hid given notice, for a select committee to inquire into the expediency of encouraging emigration. The House would recollect, that in the year 1828, a sum of fifty thousand pound had been voted for the purpose of enabling a certain number of men, women, and children, to emigrate to the North American caonies. The num ber who then availed themselves of the encouragement held out by Government was, in all, two hundred and sixty-eiglr. The expen.e incurred by the country was 221. for each person. They were now placed in Upper Canada, and from a state of wretchedness and misery, were now comfortably and prosperously situated. Tiis experiment having so far succeeded, it was thought ad visable to extend it in 1825, and there were then sent out, including men, women, and children, two thousand and twenty-four persons. The average expense of each was not so great as in 1823: it amounted to about 201. The House would see therefore, that foe a sum of 20/. each, persons might be fixed in Canada, in a comfortable situation,with the prospect of independence before them, who, had they remained in Ireland, could hope for nothing but those privations, and that wretchedness and penury, in which the poor of many districts were obliged to drag out a miserable existence. The whole )f those who had been sent out were in fact paupers, divested of all means of procuring a subsistence at home, and utterly incapable of providing for themselves and families. The experiment of 1828 completely succeeded, and that of 1825 was in progress of success. In Upper Canada the settlers were comfortably fixed on their land, perfectly contented veith their situation, grateful for what had been done for them, niAlo g great Progress, and living in the most friendly terms with the settlers who went out in 1817 and 1818. Th.re appeared in the Canada paper a letter from a. person named Fitzgibbon, one of the party who went out, &pea k ing in high terms of the situation and prospects of his companions,aud of the kind manner in which they had been received. Another letter, from Mr.Crawley, a Ito. man Catholic clergyman, who accompanied them, and one from the Superintendent, dated Jan. 11,1826, also stated that the settlers were all comfortable, and doing well. One of the emigrants wrote to the Superintende,nt in September 1825, saying that they were all doing well ; ,that he himself had a daughter of his m irried to an old 4 • 4 14 7 ,•