Star. — London, England, 1826-05-05 00:00:00

i '' RARLIAitIiNtARY PROCEEDINGS. • HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mar 4. Mr. Twit los. from the Treasury. presented an Account 1t the quantity of Butter exported from Irelsod, during the last year..-.. Laid on the table. Mr. M. FITZGERALD brought up the Report of the Com mittee on the Colonial Steam Naviaatioa Bill.—The BM and Amendments were ordered to be engrossed. Mr. BRIG HT paitpotted the--further consideration of the Re port of the Debtor and Creditor Silltill to.morrow. Mr. GOULBU RN presented a Petition from the Chamber of Commerce of Dublin, praying that the action of the Debtor and Creditor Bill might be extended to Ireland. Ordered tobcprinied. Sir G. H I Li presented a Petition from an Agricultural Society in the North-west of Ireland, praying that the Act for inspecting Flax Seed might not expire without some other Act to the same erect was prepared to supply its place.--Laid on the table. Mr. S. Wt)RTLEY brought up the Report of the Yorkshire Election Bill.—Ordered for a third reading to-morrow, and the Bill and Amendments to be engrossed. Mr. ESTCOU ItT postponed the second reading of the Alehouse License Bill till tomorrow. Lord M I LION presented a Petition from an individual, praying the House to take into their serious consideration the present stag nant state of trade. A Petition from the Catholics of Queen's County, in Ireland, praying for a Repeal of the Catholic Penal Laws, was presented by Sir H. Pa anau..—Ordered to be printed. On the motion of Mr. GOOLSO El, the Irish Benefice Bill was read a second time aad ordered to be committed to-morrow. • Sr J. YORKE presented a Petition from George Henry Leo- Bey, a member of the Royal Union Association, praying the House to institute a Commission, to inquire, during the recess, into the necessity of amending the laws of Benefit Societies. Mr. BEAUMONT presented Petitions from North Shields, praying for some alteration in the Navigation Laws. He supported the prayer of the Petition. Mr. Alderman WOOD moved the second reading of the Thames Watermen Bill. He wished to know whether the Bill could not be considered a pubik one? it was intended certainly foe the public good, and he tbaefore shooed the poor' etitioners (wbo' could but ill afford the money requisite to pass the Bill) Might have the', benefit of such a consideration. The SPEAKER assured the Hon. Member that it was both private and public, and therefore the House could net allow it to pass without paying the customary fees. After a few observations from Mr. M. A. Tavtasa, Mr. Alderman WOOD postponed the sets f ,reading of the Bill till Monday next. CURRZNCY. Mr. W. GORDON presented a Petition from several parishes in Scotland, against any alteration of the Currency of that part of the Kingdont —Referred to the Committee. Lord FOLkSTONB presented a Petition from the Burgesses and others of the town of Paisley, in favour of an alteration in the Currency of Scotland. He wished to know whether his Matt p y e l Ministers intended to do any thing towards an alteration? He they would pause, for he had no doubt there would be more peti tions of the same tenor u the one he had in his hind. Mr. HUSKISSON deprecated any discussion relative to the alteration of Currency before the Report of the Committee ap pointed to examine into the Ranking Systems of Ireland and San - land was before the House. Lord FOLKSTONE said he had put the question to the Right Hon. Gentleman because he saw the . Ministers had come forward with a measure for the relief of the people of England at a very short notice. The Pet Masers, how ever, did not attribute the calamity, • which called for an alteration of the currency, to the Corn Laws. The Petition had been seal to London as soon as it was written, under the idea that Parliament would be very speedily dissolved. but if it had remained a day or two-at Paisley he was sure it would have been signed by ,thousands. Ile thought the Petition was worthy the attention of the• House, as-coming from so respectable a body of men. who were.ußani mously opposed to the prayer of several Petitions of a contrary tendency. Mtlem Ministers adopted some other measure for the 'clip( of the country than the two they had lately proposed, he thought they would not have dose much towards benefiting it. Mr. PORTMAN took that opportunity of supporting the first Resolution on the Corn Laws, proposed by the Right Hon. Gen tleman (Mr. Canning), and o f condemning the second Resolution. Colonel JOHNSON supported the Petition. Mr. BRIGHT maintained the necessity of a repeal of the Corn Liars. The country deinanded it ;- and he implored Ministers to persist in their repeal of the prohibitory enactments of the Import ation of Foreign Corn. - Mr. J. I'. GRA NY agreed with his Noble Friend (Lord Folk stone) as to the'great importance of the Petition, thotigh he was convinced the Report of the Committee on the Currency of Scotland and Ireland would he contradictory to the statements of the Pen. tisners as to the mischievous tendency of a Paper Currency. Mr. MONK agreed with the opinions of the Petitioners on the mischievous tendency of a paper currency. He was an advocate for a return to our ancient metallic currency. Sir R. W tIaSON was• anxious for inquiry into the state of the manufacturers of the country; but he was opposed to partial votes of money for relief—as contended for by the Hon. Member for Somersetshire. General GASCOYNE hoped the House would net conclude that the silence of the Petitioners on &repeal of the Corn Laws, proceeded from a respect for those laws on the pan of the Peti tioners. That silence was caused by the hopelessness 'of a speedy repeal ; and by the declaration of Ministers, that the House would not this Session entertain the subject of the Corn Laws. He cen sured the conduct of Ministers ill this respect ; the mere so as he maintained the feelings of the disturbed districts (he did not concur with those feelings) that their distress was occasioned by the exist • lug system of the Corn Laws. A BERLY maintained that Scotland and the Government would regret any change in that fasten& Sir F. BURDETT could not agree with the importance Mtached to this Petition by the Noble Lord. its sentiment* were contra dictory—it asserted to be anxious for what was problematic ; and ii came to conclusions unwarranted by experience, or its " own pro mises. As to the distress being dependent on the state of the Corn Laws (as bytteved by the diamond nnumfacturers). he (Sir F. Burdett) atilotained it did—but not in the sense of the manufac turers. It arose from the overstock of goods being debarred a mar ket by the Corn Laws. Lord FOLK ESTONE defended the tone and sentiments of the Petition. Colonel JOHNSON said a few words to the same effect. The Peiltion was ordered to be printed. CORN LAWS. Sir T. LETHBRIDGE rose to present a Petition which had been put int:, his possession by an individual of whom he knew nothing, who described himself as Henry Phillip, corn dealer, in the City of Londone r -- Tbe Petitioner prayed the House not to pass the mea sure rtcently introduced by-the Government, without ,granting him 'Trims: for losses which he should suffer thereby. He stated that he had held four thousand quarters of ('reign wheat in bond from the ISth May, 1822, which he had taken out last year under themea sure then passed, upon payment of a duty of 10s.'per quarter. He had since been keeping his cora in the hope of getting for it a higher price, and as the importa tion of fresh foreign wheat was to be at 12s. he prayed compensation for the loss he should suffer in consequence --(/eseghter, mid esprvesions of disapprobation). The lion. Baronet said he could not deny that it was a most extraordinary Petition, but it sheaved the situation in which all corn dealers would be placed by the mea sures of Government. The Petition bad been put into his hands—he had no knowledge of the party from whom it came—and in presenting it to the House he had done his duty. • There was one fact he wished to mention, as proof of the great sensibility of these torn dealers, and the quickness with which they saw any thing that was likely to affect their interests. He w as informed as a fact, that at Liverpool, on Saturday last, great ac tivity had taken place in the business of corn. Whether they had foreseen the measure which the Government proposed on Monday, he could not undertake to say.— But he believed the fact he had stated could be very well authenticated. He only mentioned the fact ; but the sensibility of the Corn dealers, and the acuteness with which they perceived the intentions of Govern ance, were certainly greater than any displayed by the Corn groters. be printed, he • nigh .wuf of the Honse, oto.")—He hoped they why. They had carried their point in the first mea sure, by which the Corn now in bond would be let free, and he thought it would be more in quantity than they estimated, and come into general consumption.— The effect of this bad been already to cause a great stagnation of prices in the market for corn. No one he believed could, under these circumstances, expect any very high 'slices, and certainly not famine prices, before the meeting of Parliament, if, as was understood, a dissolution was to take Mace soon. Why, then, was thit responsibility to be taken by the Government—a responsibility asked for but not wanted—for all the Right Hon. Gentlemen who had spoken on the subject said they would rather be without it.* He did not wish that they should have it. He thought it would be putting a power in the hands tif his Majesty's Ministers by which they could fix the price of eve's) , man's acre of land throughout the country—or, at all events, of his quarter of corn. He did not believe that they would so use it, but he would rather see the power remain in the hands of Parliament. Mr. HUSKISSON—As an opportunity would be afforded to•moirow—(Loud cheers) of discussing the question on all its merits, he would not say a *ord in reference to them now : but he rose solely to tepel, with indignation, an insinuation which lie was informed had been %meted by the Hon. Gentleman who just sat down. (Hear, hear.) As he (Mr. Huskisson) was not in the House at the time, and had not heard one word of it, if, in re-stating it, he should fall into error, the Hon. Gen tleman would be able to set him right—(Hear.) He understood the insinuation to have been, that some persons in Liverpool—he (Mr. Huskisson) being the re presentative of that place—had some how or other received an intimation on Saturday—(Loud cries of a No, iso.") Not having heard the words used, perhaps he might not be stating them exactly, but he certainly understood they conveyed an impression that some in formation bad been received by individuals at Liverpool on Saturday, of the intention of his Majesty's Ministers on Monday, if not from themselves, at least through some of their organs—(Hear.) To this he would say, on his honour, it was impossible for any individual to have had the slightest information of any intention of the kind—(Cateers.) He would go tardier, he would tell the House what had occurred—he had received one letter only in relation to this subject, and that was ten days ago, and from two corn factors in Lancashire.— filey requested that the distress experienced in that neighbourhood might be relieved by a certain quantity of corn being let out free of duty. Knowing the delicate situation in which he was placed, to this communication he declined—in violation of what he trusted were his usual habits of business—making any reply ; and there at his office it remained at this hour unanswered. He hoped. by this time the welts would see the reason of his having se acted.— If, therefore, there was any actiiity in the market of either Lon don or Liverpool, or elsewhere. it certainly was not effected as had been insinuated—(Hear.) He denied most distinctly that any such information had transpired ; and he challenged the Hon. Baronet and all mankind to thew that it had, either in the most direct or most indirect manner—(Loud cheers.) S r E. KNATCHBLTLL had heard nothing in the ob , ervations of his H , n. Friend which warranted the inference put upon them by the Right Hon. Gentle man ; and he was sure that nothing was more foreign from his intention. If such a report had existed, he was sure that no Member of that House would have heard it without the same indignation which the Right Hon. Gentleman had expressed himself. With regard to the measure to which the Petition alluded, he joined those with whom he acted upon this great question, in regretting that his Majesty's Government should think fit to agitate it at such a moment. and under such circumstances as the present. It was painful to him to oppose the Government, but so long as he had a seat in the House he would oppose with all his pdwer such a measure as that, which he yet hoped they would abandon. Mr. H. SUMNER rose to add his testimony to the entire disbelief with which any such insinuation as that which die Right Hon. Gentleman had supposed to exist, would be received by every Member of the House. But the crea tion of such a rumour was perhaps a necessary inconvenience, arising from such a place as Liverpool being represented by the President of the . Board of Trade. The Petition was ordered to lie on the table. _ Sir T. LETH BRIDGE, in moving that it be printed, disclaimed any intention of making the insinuation which the Right Hon. Gen tleman supposed. Mr. HUSKISSON said, that after the intimation given him by the Hon. Baronet, he must of course bOieve that the intention had been mistaken. He should ,not have risen if the observations of the Hos. Baronet had not left an impression on the minds of some of his friends, which his honour required that he should at once repel. As to his being the representative of the town of Li verpool, he begged to say that be was at least as independent of his constituents as the Membih for Surrey. Sir F. BURDETT said, that in justice to the Hon. Baronet he lose to say that what had fallen front him created in his mind no idea of such a charge against the Right Hon. Gentleman. Mr. BROUGHAM said it was quite impossible that the denial given by the Right Hon. Gentleman must not be satisfactory to all who heard it. But there was a pretty sufficient reason why the Right Hon. Gentleman was not in a situation to have conveyed any intimation of this measure to his constituents by Satur day last, and that was that he did not know it himself. Indeed it was made a matter of charge and reproach to the Government in the debate of the Giber night, that they had of a sudden, and with•lut deliberation, brought forward a measure of which they themselves had no idea eight and forty hours before. The object of his rising was to explain the vote which be gave In the majority of the other evening." He understood that his Honourable Friend, the Member for Bris tol, bad said that all who voted for that Itstooludon, voted against any enquiry into the causes of the existing distress. It was no such thing. How could they avoid voting against an amendment, the object of which was to get rid of a measure which they thought aged and necessary. How inconsistent should they have been in such a measure when they had supported that of the Hon. ember tcs Bridgnorth on the Illth of April. Mr. BENETT said, that the explanation of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman was a good explanation of his vote, but he did not see how the Right Hon. Gen tlemen oppasite could explain away the inconsistency of theirs who had voted Wing themistion of the Hon. Member for Bridgnortlt. He should like to be by what ingenuity they could make out an explanation also. Mr. Secretary PEEL said that the Hon. Member for Wiltshire 'seemed to pride himself upon having made a most extraordinary discovery. The proposition of the Hon. Member for Bridgnorth went to a permanent ar rangement of the law by which coin was to be admitted into this country; whereas this measure was of a tem porary nature, and wholly unconnected with that ques tion. He thought that in one sentence be had satisfactorily got rid of the wonderful diSculty in which the Hon. Member had placed him and his Right Hon. Friends. Sir .1. SEBRIGHT said, he did not believe that Mi nisters intended to bring forward the general question this Session. But be would state it as his opinion that if these measure pass ed , the whole of the Corn Law question was de cided. (Hear, hear). The whole ques tion would be put at rest, and foreign wheat would be imported into this country, at a permanent duty of He agreed very much in ike,view Hon. Getulernass took °fibs ght th i s promos Corp tit* R, and that the pettilllollll man niM s th t e duty; questionwh th at e rb il e amount' was He professed his astonishment at the con duct of the Government in respect to these questions. He who had long been in the habit of admiring the firmness of the Right Hon. Orntkman, 'knew not what to under. stand when in every street he heard nothing but complaints of the indecision of Government. A few days ago, when there was dim tress in the country, but before the destruction of the power looms, began, the Corn Laws were not to be touched. But as soon as power loom was broken, this measure was introduced, which he. contended would decide the whole question. Lord A LTHOU P recommended Government, notwithstanding any inconvenience they alight incur, nu longer to tamper with these laws, but to settle them at once—(Cbeers). He should vote against this measure because it was only of a temporary nature. Mr. BAILING asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether be intended to bring up the Report of the Committee on the Corn Laws in the s course of the evening, or postpone it till to.morrow? Thb CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that be had no objection to postpone it if any particular reason were *hewn ; but, unless there were some necessity he should prefer its being brought up tonight. Mr. BARING said he had a great objection to this as a measure of relief. It was impossible this House, when the native of the measure was fully before it, could consent to its introduction ; and he put the question concerning the Report to the Right Hon. Gentleman, because he thought the two propositions ought not to pass consecutively. The measures should be brought forward at once and together. He agreed with the Hon. Member for Hertfordshire (Sir J. S.-bright), that if the measures were once allowed, it would not be for a year only—it would be permanent—(Hear.) Ministers complained but recently that this was not a fit time for the discussion of the question ; it was not a fit time then, when the investigation might have been gone into, but it was a tit time for the introduction of the measure now without any inquiry at all. He hoped the general question would be moved, that it might be set at rest ; if it were not, he should move it himself. Mr. LEYCESTER said, if the duty were Its. it would be a waste of money, for individuals would raise their selling price from £os. to 30s. and get an additional its. in their pockets. The Petition was then read, and ordered to be printed. Sir R. HERON gave notice that he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to legalize the veiling of Game. Sir F. BURDETT presented a Petition from Dr. Thorp, late Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, praying the House to take into con sideration the cause of his dismissal from his situation, with a view to awarding him a fair remuneration. The Petitioner set forth that he had been dismissed without any charge being made out against him. He presented a Petition every year to keep his claim alive. After a few words in support of the Petition from hlr.litooonase and Mr. Hume, Mr. W. HORTON said the matter might be investigated if the Petitioner would bring it regularly before the House. He (Mr. W. Horton) should be quite prepared to meet the case. Mr. HUTCHINSON said it was very hard to call on the Peti tioner to make out a case for the House, when, if it were stated to the Colonial Secretary, it would answer all the ends of justice. After a few words frum Lord Nuciamt, the Petition was ordered to be printed. 1 sets. Before bp moud that the petition twelve shillings. 1 would earnesdy ogp_ress his hope Unit as which *e N i ght H Misters had 201,0 tbis sbbject awl to- COM Lasts.- He d rt, xt, fey rapid piearto the wish which. he injerious to the cod entertained in comae, by the great body. ways be open at a , and let it rest altogether.—( Cries of "NO of that duty shoul 4 )ped they would do so, and he would state to ascertain. _He p STATE OF THE NATION. , Mr. HUME rose to bring forward his motion on this subject, pursuant to a notice which had been given two months since. He began by disclaiming any intention of interfering with the measures of Ministers. Their acts, with the exception of those which regarded the expenditure of the country, were in general such as afforded him great pleasure ; and accordingly he often voted with them. He wished however to remove a delusion with regard to the financial state of the coun try, which had proved ruinous to many classes of the people. Every part of his statement would be suffi ciently clear, except the details connected with the Sinking Fund, which were so impoltant that he would reserve them for separate consideration. For the ruinous alterations which had taken place in the country various opinions had been offered: Some attributed them to the state of the Currency, others to the Corn Laws, and others assigned other causes. He would not say that they were all wrong : perhaps some truth might be found in the reasoning of each : but it was necessary to know the real situation of things, before any one could undertake to propose a remedy. On this question he took a different view from Ministers, and in considering it, he would confine himself to the period which intervened since January, 1817, because, before that time the financial accounts of England and Ireland were kept separate, and consequently were more confused and obscure than they subsequently became. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had stated that there was a reduction of three millions in the amount of the public debt ; but that statement he thought was erroneous. In 1816 a mistake of two millions had occurred, which was not perceived until he (Mr. Hume) discovered it in examining the financial ac counts, and credit was taken for a reduction to that amount up. to the time of examination. As to the Debt, ithe public were under an impression that a reduction greater than was really possible, bad taken place.— On the sth of January , 1817, the funded debt amounted ; to 796,000,0001. and the unfunded to 50,000,0001., the whole being 846,000,0001. On the sth of Jan. 1826, the funded debt was 778,000,0001. and the unfunded 1 1 414)00,0001., making in all 819,000,0001. Hence it appeared that there was a decrease in capital of 27,000,0001. Since the year 1817 there was a reduction of capital to the amount of 20,000,0001. Out of 2,985,0001. the reduction on the annual charge of the funded and unfunded debt a reduction of 2,242,0001. took place, without any reference to surplus revenue., The total revenue for the nirre yeats was 531,266,5351. A land the amount of expenditure was 508,309,6144. which showed the surplus cf revenue to be 22,956,9221.; and this, with the monies paid by Austria and the East India Company, came up to 25,965,5391. which might be disposed of for the redemption of the debt exclusively of sums paid by the Bank of England for what was called the dead weight loan. The total amount of taxes received in the Treasury for the nine years was 531,000,0001. and 234,000,0001. had been paid during the same term, as the amount of the civil and military expences of the nation. The balance of monies in the Exchequer in Jan.lBl7,was 1,313,0601. and in the same month of this year it was 5,305,6381. which sheaved a decrease of 7,807,4021. 125,000,0001. was to throw dust in the eyes of the public, who imagined that there was a Sinking Fund to that amount, though it really did not exceed two millions and a half in any one year. Any man would naturally have supposed that the nation was growing rich, and that the debt was lessened by 124,000,0001. But such was not the fact. During that time 98,000,0001. were borrowed, and the Debt was increased by 126,000,0001. It appeared also, that 116,000,0001. out of the 12,000,0001. went to Site Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. In the year 1819, the Chancellor of the Exchequer borrowed 24 millions, to prop up the present fallacious system ; the Gentle. men who were disposed to bid for this loan of course sold out so as to depreciate stock; but it having been m i grated by the Hon. Member for Penrhyn, that it would be better to take up only twelve millions, the bidders, as soon as they beard this, rose in their off ts to 591. or full S per cent. which was a most important saving to the public on that transaction only ; but he had no hesitation in saying, that by borrowing in this way in order to mystify the proceedings of Government and ptop up the Sinking Fund, not less than hetween two and three hundted millions of nominal capital had been added, togethet with its very heavy charge, to the amount of our atonal D bt. Much good would be done if the principle of sittiplifying the public accounts were carried into effect to the extent recommended by the Hon. Member for Abingdon. The Hon. Member went into a minute examination of that Funded Stock commonly called the Dead Weight, which alone had plowed the means of wa..tonly throwing otit of the pocket of the public no less than 1,600,0001. Might sot this be as well applied to some beneficial nations} Purposes, if not to the immediate reduction of taxes The Government had been going on, from time to times reducing one stock by creating another. He cons tended that an end ought to be put to the relnuch.-si of three per cents. under any circumstances, after the risen beyond a certain amount—so that Govern ment should never be allowed to play any hocus-pocus tricks, with this part of our finance—(L ing/ting)— He trusted he had now shewn the futility ..f a Sinking Fund. Whilst our difficulties in the monied way x ere increasing, our produce, whether in commerce, .10- culture, or manufactures, together with the remunera tion for labour in each branch, had more than propor tionably declined. He regretted to say that a circum stance bad been disclosed, by the ingenious tables of M. Moreau, according to which it would be found. that by referring the exports and imports to two standards of value, the actual and the official, at the Custom House, we were constantly labouring under a delusion as to the value of our exports and imports. He held that all classes of society, including the Country Gentleman, the half pay, the placeman, and all persons of this sort who did not labour, were totally useless or non-produc tive as to the 58 millions of taxes requisite for the yearly expenditure. It was only the arm that wielded the hammer, directed the plough, or managed the loom or sail, which could be considered really productive in this sense. The next resolution he had to allude to was that which contained the cream of all he had , o submit. It went to state strongly the necessity of an immediate reduction of our establishments generally, and as a ne cessary consequence, general reduction ofd: rest taxation. Nothing could be more fallacious than for the Right Hon. Gentleman to tell the public that 27 millions of taxes had been taken off, when it must be seen that by altering the standard, and attempting to restore us to a state of metallic currency, there was nearly the same sum paid now into the Treasury that there had been oa the average of former years, antecedent to the arrange ments in our finance, which took place upon the cessa tion of hostilities in 1815. This consideration ought not to have escaped the acumen of the Right Hon. Gentleman, when he told the House, a short time ago, that the country was in a progressively improving state; when he could demonstrate from public accounts that the consumption of articles of necessity and luxury was progressively increasing on an average of some two or three natl. He could not join in the exultation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on being able to collect 52 millions of money, when he saw the state of destitu tion and distress into which the agricultural labourers of the country had permanently sunk. This was the effect of the grinding hand of taxation, and yet year after year the House was amused with the most flatter ing, and, be would add, the most delusive statements. They had heard the Right Hon. Gentleman boast of the increase in the consumption of exciseable articles as an indication of the ability and comfort of the people. These statements were, without exception, either alto. gether opposite to the fact, or grossly exaggerated.-- The Hon. Member then went into a long and detailed comparison between the rate of consumption at present, and at dates more or less remote, of the several articles of malt, distilled spirits, wine, tobacco, wool, tea, sugar, soap, candles, and other articles; and contendeil that the consumption had either positively fallen of;' or had not increased in anything like an equal proportion with the increase of population. He excepted the case of tallow candles, the increase in the consumption of which he ascribed to the misery and distress of the people, who could now with difficulty obtain the neces saries of life, even by working at late and unreasonable hours. He would refer to the state of pauperism and crime, which had gone on increasing with the increase of taxation, as affording proof positive of the correct ness of his opinions. But before he adverted to th.it part of his subject, he must take leave to say a few words on the extravagance of Government. He then compared, in great detail, the Army, Ordnance, and Navy Estimates, for several years back, and pointed out a progressive increase under each head. He animad verted with great warmth upon the management of the half pay of the Army, which he described as a system for the continuation of pensions, and for affording Go vernment the means of bribing every family in the coun try. The same observations applied still more strongly to the half pay of the Navy. They had Naval Officers in sufficient numbers to command seven such Navies as we maintained. Out of above five t'iousand Naval Of ficers, they had in ten years only a diminution of thi r ty, and this was amongst the Lieutenants. The number of superior Officers had, however, increased, so that they made up in weight what they wanted in number. Then let them look at the promotions in the last ten years— they had in the Navy no less than 1594 promotions.— That this was exclusively for the purposeof patronage was evident from the very opposite course pursued byGo vernment with respect to another branch, and an equally meritorious branch of the service—.he meant the corps of Marines. In this corps, consisting of 8 or 9000 men, they had in ten years only ninety-six promotions. This partiality would appear unaccountable, till it was re collected that amongst the officers of Marines there were no sons of Noblemen or Members of Parliament. These circumstances altogether warranted him in the conclusion that the whole . extravagance of our esta blishment arose from the desire of creating pa:ronage for Ministers. Having thus clearly traced our eat: a vagant expenditure to its cause, the more painful duty still remained to follow it to its consequences, the gene ral poverty and distress of the people, and the fearful increase of pauperism and crime. By a paper which he held in his hand, he found that in the year 1805 the number of persons tried for various offences in England and Wales was 4,600. In the year 1825 they had increased to 14,487, being more than treble the former amount. Crime was the child of poverty ; and poverty was the offspring of taxation. Who could therefore answer for those effects which must inevitably result from the system in operation ? If we were to go on thus increasing the numbers of idle persons who lived upon the taxes, and consequently LB- *I • I I