Star. — London, England, 1830-03-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. DOUSE OF LORDS—Tx VRSDAY. Some 'private bills on the table were read a third time and passed, other• were advanced ot.e stage. V mcount (it in F:R 'CU presented a petition from an individual, rained Sidman. praying for a repeal of the laws which impose civil (I isablitirs on the Jew'. wet CH JCIDICATURE. The End of ELDON presented two petitions against any altera ot Welch j.,dicatiire, from Pembroke, signed by many indivi s'el.bis of the county , and from the mayor and town council of Ha vetford west. The noble and learned lord spoke at some length on preser,tir.g the second petition. He had seen with some surprise, 70 a publication, that the commissioners appointed to inquire into pr. , ceedings of the Court of Chancery. had caused a great ex to the country. Now. he could affirm that this was a mix ste,e : tor tt , ost learned gentlemen, at considerable inconvenience to tl ol•Oves. s. regard-el their professional labours, had gratuitously at•vr ri, d. and given the benefit of their eelent?. remunera t.en uratever had they received for the e of that valuable verve... With respect to the appointment of a committee to inquire into the ecclesiastical law, he had not a single word to offer in ob jection. A. respected the proposed alteration of the Welch judi cature. as her as the courts of equity in Wales were concerned, he should decidedly object to the proposed measure. He should not object to other measures, which he believed to be improvements in the law; but he must first be satisfied that they were improve ments, and he should feel it his duty to investigate the principles promulgated. CAWDOR said he was fully persuaded that the present system of Welch Judicature was extremely inconvenient, and was so felt by the people. He had made the subject a matter of inquiry and investigation, and the result was as he had stated. He eertainly should give his cordial support to the bill. SHIPPING INTEREST. The Earl of ELDON presented a petition, which was read at length, from the shipowners of South Shields, complaining of dis tress, and praying relief. MESSAGE PROM THE COMMONS. Sir A. CI new r, with other members, brought up the report of the Select committee of the House of Commons of session 1828, in. quiring into the subject of Irish and Scotch vagrants. Laid on the table. Sir A. GRANT, Lord G. SontenszT, and other members of the Commons, brought up" the illusory appointments bill, - and a pri. vale bill, both of which were read a first time. The Marquis of SALISBURY moved for certain returns of the accounts and expenses of the commissioners of the London and Edinburgh and London and Holyhead roads. After a few observations from Viscount GODERICH and Lad WHARNcLIFTE, the returns were ordered. Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from Huddersfield, complaining of distress, and praying to be relieved from taxation. The petition was signed by 3,400 persons, and was agreed to at a meeting publicly convened and held. He was persuaded that the government had every disposition to lighten the burdens of the people ; they had evinced that desire by the recent reduction of taxa tion ; and he hoped they would carry it still further. CONN AVERAGES. The Earl of M ALSIESBU KY rose, he said, to move for some returns, to the production of which no objection existed : the returns were for an account of the quantity of corn weekly entered from Ireland into the port of Liverpool, from the sth April, 1828, to the sth January, 1830 ; also the quantity weekly sent from Liver. pool to London and Manchester, from that corn soimported, during the some period. It was urged, when the corn imported from Ire. land was proposed to be included in the averages, that this would act as a boon to the agriculturists of this country. For his own part, he very much doubted that such would be the effect felt when the proposition was made ; and in this opinion he was confirmed. Ile was inclined to believe that a very small proportion of Irish wheat ever came within the scope of the corn averages. It was .far from his desire to open the great question again.—(hear.) It was a subject which ought not to be continually brought under par. lianientary discus.ion.—(hear, hear.) He, however, must be per. mitted to observe that, in his estimation, the present mode of taking averages was very defective Within the last few days a great rise had taken place in the corn market ; not from any deficiency . of stock on hand—for he believed there was a large quantity ot corn in the country, but from the probability there was of foreign importation.—(hear.) There was something wrong in the mode of taking averages, as he had before stated, and, as an instance of this, he need only call their lordships attention to a return on their table, from which it appeared that, in November, 1828, the price of wheat having advanced to a price which admitted its imports. tion at I Is. per quarter duty, no less titan 400,000 quartets were itnported immediately.—The advance allowing this importation (we understood) was only 2s. 4d. a quarter. It was fit, the noble earl submitted, that the averages should be on a fair scale r the data upon which they were founded ought to be adequate to the protec tion intended. For his own part, he firmly believed that not one fifth part of the wheat imported from Ireland ever found its way into the averages. The Earl of LIMERICK expressed his satisfaction at the motion of his noble friend, and concurred in the observations made with re spect to the importation of wheat from Ireland. The returns were then ordered. DIsTaESS AND TAXATION. Lord SUFFIELD said he had three petitious from three hun dreds in Norfolk, complaining of agricultural distress. They prayed to be relieved from their burdens, especially from the malt tax, which they considered pressed so heavily upon the agricultural labourer. He felt it his duty to make some observations upon the subject. It was a satisfaction to find that, although the petitioners, some of whom were farmers, others yeomen and landowners, com plained of distress, they were not so absorbed in their own suffer ings as to be insensible to those of the labouring classes, and there fore they had, as he had just stated, suggested the repeal of the malt tax. He could not forbear stating, as a fact worthy the considers. tion of the house, that the farmer was in a worse condition now than he was ten years ago. The fanner had now less capital tp carry on his business at the present moment than at the period just named. This was a proof that his was a losing trade. Hering so far discharged his duty to the petitioners, who had done him the , honour to intrust the petition to present to the house, he would nbw ' proceed to notice one of the causes which bad an influence inju. rious to the country—he meant the improper administration of the pore laws. Before doing so, however, he would advert to what had been first asserted respecting the corn Jaws. He was no more friendly to those laws than his noble friend near him (Lord King). He (Lord Suffield) thought that these laws tended to make bread dealer, without benefiting the agriculturist. It was obvious that . rents may be reduced—nay, that they were already reduced in many parts of the country. But the petitioners declared " that no reduction of rent would afford adequate relief." The land. lord had reduced his rent. If humanity did not force him to a reduction of rent, policy would. It was well known that too high a rent would, in the end, turn out not only injutlous to the tenant, but the landlord also. The next point to which he begged to revert bad reference to the poor rates. Their lordships, he would boldly state, had received a just measure of re tribution for neglecting the proper administration of the poor laws. These laws, it was unnecessary to say, were administered by the higher orders of society—the( farmers had nothing to do with that administration. He was quite satisfied that every where the poor. rates might be reduced, and in some parts of England they might be very much diminished. He was prepared to show, that where there was a proper administration of the laws on this subject such a result would accompany it. The last point on which he shoultU now trouble the house was on taxation. The petitioners looked to a reduction of taxation as the best mode of relief. They urged the repeal of taxes on malt. This would enable the _lowet classes to brew their own beer. The coal tax, and the duty on candles, if removed, would also be of great benefit to the working classes. He felt grateful for the reduction which had been already made, and lie hoped it would be carried further. He had other petitions of a similar description to present, but would not then trouble the house with them. The petitions were then read, and laid on the table. MISREPRESENTATION. The Earl of ELDON complained of having been misrepresented, ,fir a former nighterhen speaking on the subject of the currency. bit what the noble and learned lord said was very imperfectly heard helow the bar : the substance, however was, that he had been stated as urging the very reverse of whit* he actually spoke. Lord GOWER presented two petitions from lane-End and anothir pl ace in Staffordshire, against the truck system (as was un derstood). Laird Kixo presented a petition from a parish in Ireland against the Vestry Act. The noble lord also presented a petition from cop individual in Norwich, praying the repeal of the Laws which affect the civil rights of the Jews. The Karl of Wi i ncxttaga presented a •petition from the ma gistrates, farmers, and others, of Romney blush, complaining of distress, and praying relief. PETITION triton lEZNT—DISTRESS. • Earl STANHOPE said be had been requested to present a peti tion adopted at a very numerous meeting of the proprietors, free holders, and inhabitaate of the county of Kent ; and he dtscharged this duty with perticular pleasure and satisfaction, because, in every sentiment exposed in that, petal= he fully and cordially. concurred. I tu i ta l sa V aspect to the. meeting itself , wh i ch w a s very . numeteusly a , and at. which -many of the most respectable s com a* with the county. were present, he should have felt 611PrItur hinny trpubk dieirlortbhips with any observations were, ',II=WWI epee to egg slew swards in to of. some of the eon re- Burks by bisitoble Mond the Losel•Liruteusat nty (Marquis Camden) an %forme evening. His noble fries 44 re -1 • presented that this meeting had besittalted by apolitical party, for the purpose of raising aft opposition to the preassegoversment Now in answer to the allegation; be geed lady easy that .if it were di* pith were the motivetnfinfy l*rty I the cottetty, -k would not film a valid ground of objecildb' to the peitillatit but It must have been q uite obviOus that it Would have been qui* **cites. tor any such tti to have appealed to the county, in this legitimate and comnitut I mode of•giving expression to public opinion if the state of the people were not such se to render it necessary to eall for some relief,—or, in other word; if the freeholders of the county sop. posed that their distress was partial or temporary or that it arose from fortuitous causes and circumstances not within the control of Parliament. if sneh had been their feelings, they would not have signed the requisition, or supported this petition with their votes. But the fact was, that of the number of peers who possessed property in the county of Kent, the requisition was signed only by three, of whom a noble friend, whom he saw in his place, was one, and a noble baron was another, who was now absent through India. position, but who had desired him to express his entire concurrence in the sentiments and prayer of the petition. The requisition was not signed by any hon. member of the House of Commons, but it certainly bore numerous signatures of the gentry and yeomanry of the county. They who differed in opinion on other subjects, united in feeling that some inquiry into the causes of the distress was abso lutely necessary. When his noble friend said that this and other proceedings adopted, both in and out of parliament, had no other design than to offer a vexatious opposition to the measures of go. vestment ' he must have spoken without personal observation, for be was sure his noble friend must be aware that those who wished to practice such vexatious opposition pursued • different course; that they proposed nothing, but opposed every thing; waiting in am. bush until some measure was brought forward on the other side, and then pouncing upon it with all their hostility. He had long since stated the principles which, in his conscience, he believed to be essential to the salvation of the country. He was ready to offer his humble, but cordial and zealous, support to any ministry which would act upon such principles . Asking nothing, seek. ing nothing, wishing nothing, that any minister could bestow, be would still be ready to support those measures which ap peared wise and just. That he was equally determined se oppose, however unsuccessfully, still zealously and par.' sly, any measures in opposition to those princi ples which he conscientiously approved of. The pad. ekes @toted, in its first paragraph, that the grievous and 0. exampled distress which affects all the productive interests stiike country, demanded the immediate attention of the right has. hone so investigate its causes, and to consider of the measures which it would be right to adopt, with a view to administering speedy and effectual relief. His noble friend bald, that the distress of the one. ' try was not general, because rents continued to be paid, and townie were not dispossessed ; but his noble friend must know that thus farmers who paid their rents, did so out of their capital ; and if as. Sees to quit were not more general, it was because it was always difficult, and often impracticable, to find another tenant. He had the honour of being a near neighbour of his noble friend, and he was enabled to say, from information, that one of his noble friend's own tenants—a very respectable man had lost 20W. by farming in the last year; therefore those who said that rents were paid did nothing towards proving that distress did not exist, unless they were to assert that those rents were not paid out of the capital. A noble connected with the county of Kent proposed reduction of rent u a specific for all the evil. Why the distress of the land-owner consisted in the reduction or the non-receipt of rent, and yet reduction wu proposed u a cure. That wu somewhat like the case of a person dying for want of food, who was gravely told that the best cure for bin sufferings was not to eat. (A laugh.) He had no objection to sable lords reducing their own rents to any extent they pleased, but he protested, on behalf of their lordships in general, and of all the land-owners in England, against any measure being urged upon them which would tend to deprive others of their rents, without the concurrence of thou interested. How could rents be reduced, when in many parts of the country no rents at all were paid ? In many parts of the county of Kent no rents were or could be paid. The poor rates were 20s. In the pound upon the rents of the land. Their lordships were called upon to consider what would be the consequences of a continuance of the present distress. The peti tioners stated, and he agreed with them, that it would be impusi. ble for his majesty's subjects to continue to pay their taxes, or I. execute their other engagements. and that, if some relief were nee given, the consequence would be a national bankruptcy, and otbse consequences most alarming. Although he considered it a dange. roue delusion to suppose that the taxes of themselves were the cause of the distress, or that it could be materially alleviated by their reduction, yet, it was important to state that the taxation had virtually doubled since 1819, and that to pay the same mend of nominal value it was requisite to sell double the number or Fandty of articles of produce. He denied that taxation of itself produced the distress, because, at time, when taxes were higher than at pre. sent, the country was more ptosperous • but it was manifest that anything which rendered the collectio n of the revenue difficult tended to diminish public credit, and to Win on that nationalbtralt. tuptcy which the petitioners apprehended. As a proof of the effictS of the distress upon the minds of men, he would mention that,. in the last year, those very same freeholders of Kent assembled, and expressed their apprehensions of any measure which might diminish the security of the established church, yet, at the next meeting, re. ceived with joy a proposal—which was nearly carried—for an appro priation of the church property. He held in his hand a letter from a large landed proprietor, who stated that his poor-rates were dou bled within 1.1 years, and that he paid, upon • property of 1,341 acres, rates to the amount of 9941. per ann. A case had also bean Weindy mentioned by a noble friend of his, of a parish which was ensinied with 2.9001. poor.rates, although its rental was but 24001. In mother part of the country a farm was let at 501. upon which the tithes and poor-rates amounted to 1121—being more than 200 gir cent. upon the value of the land. The petitioners mated that' 'hi Oils of the times had arisen from the want of a due protection to the agricultural interest, and from the system of free trade, which was incompatible with the present state of taxation, and that they were aggravated by the alterations which had been made with respect to the currency, unaccompanied by a proportionate reduction of taxation. It concluded with the expression of a wish—which was now common in all parts of the country—for a reform of parliament, regulated on proper principles. With this limitation, he concurred in the wish of the petitioners. He was far from being, as his noble friend said, a radical reformer, •but experience convinced him that the house of commons did not urns the sentiments of the people. It was, therefore, natural that those who met in popular assemblies to coat. plain of their distress should look for relief to a reform of par. Bement. He knew well that an ancient dilapidated edifice, like the constitution of this country, it was necessary to use great are and caution, lest, in attempting to make those repairs which time or circumstances might have rendered necessary, we should 'destroy the edifice itself. But he would appeal to those who: • most opposed, not to radical reform, but to a safe, sahumg, plhtdent, and practicable reform, to beware of the consequences of the present measures; for if it were the intention of ministers to ex, cite the strongest feelings in favour of reform, they could not do so e effectually than by suffering the present distress of the country M continue without investigation of its causes, or inquiring into the news of remedy. It was the duty and the interest of the House of Oensimis to endeavour, while it was not too late, to regain the coo. Maw ard support of the people, which they h ad lost. The ped. don, visendly. prayed for relief. As there would be future spew UMW stffiseussing the questions generally which the petition mss. braced, end, as he intended to have the honour of submitting agt position with respect to free trade, he should not now detain Lordships further, hut should move that the petition be read. The petition was then read by the Clerk. The Marquis of CAMDEN said that, as his noilgtV it kid made some observations upon a speech made by him. , a ie. ONION he was led to explain to the house what be meant to say at that time. He meant to inform the house that, so far as his ober*. vatlons and opinion went, the distress was not so great as it wee re. presented to be. Their lordships would do him the favour to rood. Int, that be had made a comparison between this year, when so much excitement prevailed upon this subject, and foram and said that the distress was not, in his opinion, so or es severe as at former seasons. He certainly thought it net villa* that those who agreed with his noble friend in disspprovin of the measures of government, would rake such an opportunity and such means of evincing their disapprobation. and that such a feeling might have led to the meeting of the county of Kent. He well recollected—and he was rot ashamed to say it—thatTe gul a . attended a meeting at Maidstone for the very purpose of making a stand against government. This was certainly a great many yogi ago; and he had not recently seen reason to censure the conduit of the government. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the distress, he must say that, even if the county of Kent were MINI distressed than it was, that would be no proof of general dis tr ess. That county was pecu liarlyi situated, and it might be deeply dis. l , leered, and yet the distress not be Faisal thisuoeut the kingillein. —(The noble =ergots here read emu imiewlstions, which ts= to relate to the conipacadve poises ef gleaner in too at us-Wds). He concluded by saying that the wasesell cues wool* better paid now than last year, and the the distress Wm nifty MI ' gree t n o r an general as It was reptesented, et AS it bed Meals we. ma periods. Earl STANHOPE said a few words in esplanades. The Earl of W INCH ILSEA aeitilhat it wu with goat ekes wince he offered himself so the twenties of abeirlordshipar for. GAO the debate of last Thus . allay aced also of the first night of the s u xu ,L an d a ft e r t he hat inefeitul t e d peals made by • dui noble 11rd wisp se ad issiiilegly the caused** distrusted countsysten, sad called arm lordships to de thei duty which the country had a right to demand of than, by Wads. tigatM ehe anises of the distress, and hogekkee Into t h e mew Cl relief 1124 . that evilwlrieli oopeessed ship .fiseedi h e t h e swear-_ after thoestrult of those 'Aim, . be had witless the - vanity sae 110 weaknes to.tfappose that any argument width °MAU urged by dm bumble indivjdual who had now the honour of addrendng their latti atdpa -would meet with the slightest consideration from Aim; But havingbeen requested to support the prayer of the petition which had just been laid upon their lesdshipas table coining from a body of men inferior to none In loyalty, in attechnient to the insti tutions of the country, in strict integrity, and upright ence, he felt that he should not be fulfilling his duty, or dol l :g e l: d ice to the respect which he entertained for the character of that body, if he were to remain totally silent on the presentidon of this petition. He should not occupy the time of their lordships with proving the un. paralleled distress in which the country was involved: He would not go into the painful detail of the causes which had of late years made so lamentable a change in the condition and prospects of the agri cultural interests in the country. Heart.rending, indeed, were the scenes which he could bring before their lordship of hundreds of honest and respectable men whom he recollected in comfort and affluence, happy in the midst of their contented families, who were now borne down by their burdens, who, after hav ing spent their last shilling for the support of their families, were obliged to part with their cheerful cottage and the few mess which ..rt surrounded it, and were obliged to give up the pinkies i realised by the honest Industry of their forefathers—a mony as dear to them as the stately inanition or the domain of the proudest lord of the realm. Not diet, but they were obliged to seek an asylum in the poorhouse, and in the last years of their existence subsist upon the poor-rate to which they had themselves been the chief contributors. He would confidently say, notwithstanding the opinions which were advanced on the opposite side, that the distress of the agricultural intmest had never been exceeded in the memory of the oldest pane= Owing to want of capital, a vast tract of the finest paeans Mt the county of Kent was considerably understocked. He wished those noble lords, who founded their opinions as to the distress net being general, on the circumstance of their having received their rents, would trouble themselves to inquire in what manner those rents had been paid. He wished they would see whether the rents had not been paid out of the capital of the tenants; yes, and he would add, out of the capital of the landlords likewise. If arable land was improperly broken up for cultivation, what was it but to waste the capital of the landlord, without ony real advantage to the tenant ? Such was the case in many parts of Kent. He, himself knew a property in that county, where four-fittlts of the plough lands were sowed with wheat ; what then, he would ask. must be the effect of such a system, but to exhaust capital ? Another effect of the system was to diminish the numbers of that great and valuable body who formed the link between the lanibelehrt and the peasant—that body, who, in the hour of trial amid of danger, when mischief was threatened by foreign foes, proved the best source of strength and support to the country. From the time ..that he had the honour of a seat in that house, he perceived, with regret that public men had shown too little regard to public principle, and that many who had a political character to sustain had chosen rather to consult their own private interests. He was very sorry to uf that he could no longer enter- , taro anything like public respect for many with whom be had for merly acted. He had, however, a few political friends still left, and much as he deprecated the course pursued by his majesty's govern ment, he would scorn to indulge in anything like factious ta ri. tion. He could only wish that the noble duke (Wellington who now happened to have a residence in the county, would the trouble, when passing through the world of Kent, through Romney Marsh, to ascertain, from his own observation on the spot, whether or not the statement which he (the Earl of Winchelsea) now made was correct. He wished the noble lord would inquire what the' actual state of the farmers in that quarter was, and see whether he would not find among them ma n persons who were permitted to occupy the soil without having any rent for the last three years. It would be then for the noble duke to say whether the agriculturists had not just reason to complain. But he would not call upon the noble duke to take so dreary a journey ; he would only ask him to is see in what state the tenants of the noble marquis op posi te were ; and also in what mate the tenants of the noble earl (the Earl of Darnley) were. In both these cases he would be sat that dis ' tress existed to an extent sanely ever known before. Those who were not able to pay any rent must still remain on their farms, for whatever they possessed in the world was vested in the land, and, therefore, they could not possibly remove. But though the noble earl had said, on a former occasion, that he received his rents, he would silk the noble earl, as well as his noble friend op.' posite (the Marquis of Camden), whether their rents were received out of the profits of the land, or out of the capital of the taunts ? 1 He himself had heard that distress prevailed to such an extent at Chatham, that the magistrates were employed from morning till night in nothing whatever then endeavouring to relieve it. The petitioners stated that the contraction of the currency had materially I contributed to the present distress. In this opinion he entirely con- mined ; not that he wished to see a paper instead of a metallic standard, but because he thought that before any change took place, meant' ought to have been adopted for reducing the national debt. The conviction on his mind was that, if something was not done to increase the circulating medium, it would be quite impossible for the country to go on. It appears to him that if provincial banks were established on a footing of. good security, very great relief might be afforded to the public. There was another point refaced ta in the petition on which he wished to say a few words. With the burdens which now upon the country , nothing could be 1 INK injudicious than pressed trade; yet, at the same time, be must say that, so far fr om being adverse to the measure, he sh ould sup port a free trade in corn, if the land was not so heavily. taxed.— (Hear, hear.) But with our present heavy weight of t=h ey e admission of foreign produce, Under the crushing was an evil of the greatest magnitude. The country was ghat approaching to a state of utter ruin and destruction, and t= could not possibly remain as they were. Among the other introduced in the petition was one respecting parliamentary reimin. Upon this he was not now disposed to make any observatioas, she wished to reserve himself for another occasion, when the should be brought forward. It was, however, impossible felt to shut his eyes to this important tact, that the people of England had not their great weight in the other house of parliament. He was no radical reformer; he thought, however, the question a very important one, and he wished to see it discussed on constitutional grounds. Having said thus much, he had now only to express his hope that the subject of the petition would meet with the serious attention of their lordships, involving as it did the best interests of the country. The Marquis of CAMDEN explained.—His observations on this subject had reference only to his own immediate neighbourhood, where, from his own knowledge, he could take upon himself to state that distress did not prevail to the same extent as in other parts. The quarter to which he had alluded comprised a very large district, and the pressure there was by no means so great as in 1821. He admitted, however, that a good deal of distress did prevail in the amid of Kent. The Earl of DARNLEY could not say, with the noble mar. quit who bad just addressed their lordships, that for several years he had found no reason to oppose the measures of his majesty's ministers, for it so happened that hitherto he had generally found himself in opposition, though he saw no reason to complain of them in the instance now brought forward. It was said, as a sarcastic taunt, by his noble friend (Earl Stanhope), that he (the Earl of Darnley) and those who acted with him were always ac customed to oppose every thing and propose nothing. But their lordships would recollect that he and his noble friends had invariably proposed, and urged upon the attention of his blajtity's ministers one most important measure—a measure which had since been fortunately adopted, and one which lie looked upon as the greatest he had ever known—the Catholic Question. lie contended that the distress was much more severe in the county of Kent hi the year 1822 than at present. In that years public meeting was called for the purpose of taking Into consideration the state of the agriculs tarsi interest, and the attendance of the noblemen and gentlemen of the county' was very numerous, but the noble marquis opposite (the Lad Lieutenant) was not present. Among those who attended was Ali. Cobbett, and he proposed to the meeting that what he called " an equitable adjustment" should take place. He (Rad D.) was the only individual who had stood out against this proposi tion, the whole sense of the county, as expressed by the meeting, being in favour or it, and it was finally carried amidst loud accla mations. He understood that at the late meeting at Psnenden Heath, the noble earl (Stanhope) had proposed an address to his majesty, and that a person, who was an auctioneer at Rochester, stood up and proposed another address as an amendment, which was carried by a large majority —lhear. hear.) Thus did the sue. dower completely knock down the address of the noble earl—(a laugh.) Ni kb respect to the presort petition, be would ask the noble earl if be could put his hand on his bean and say whether there was a majority of the nreetiOF in favour of it ; or rather, whether the voice of the majority was not in favour of a very different petition-Jew which to ter tie sisal abolition of tithes ? He wieleoeherd that the distress was by no mesas se gum as was ice. But even admittins it to the astent stated by smas.asiiis lords, still be would ask what were the muteness they peptised as a remedy P (Hear, hear.) Why, the currency and. the aim laws. He hops). however. hat the not duke at the bead of hie Majesty's imam/oat, had toe much 'Amuse to sailer either of these to be moped *ids. The trona. ley had already reached the lowest pit of dspeissien, and signs of haprovement were visibly besimimi hi *poor In all direc tions. Goverranent had done his mom to allied east in the best possibk way—tramely, by a redereleo of Imam .. His majesty's ministers bad moreorre pledged themehses lo further redne , dons whenever oesetehleng r aitlit shaeld present them , selves: MR , If any could' wet • beam mode of relief than that which resulted from a of Sass be world dup. poet biro heart and hand; bat he did not Malt dim could be a better. He deprecated the tdple of exddhl diniveladlitill abd ; ' . discontent in the public m7od, by maenad “peasessetises o f distress. .. . • Earl STANHOPE, in explanation. said, that • ese¢elky af the meeting, though net a large one, was in favour of the present peti. tion. With respect to what was said about an equitable ad. juennent, be had only to observe that he was so Mood to any such measure ; for he did not see how there could be any equity in doing that which was in itself inequitable. He still thought, how. ever, that something of the kind mast take place, or that *we man be an issue of papa money. He did not, at the same time, mean an unlimited issue for, in his opinion, country bankers ought to be the distributors, and not the creators of money. Perhaps the best plan would be, the paper money should be Issued on government security. The earl of DARNLEY explained. Lord SUFFIELD said that the pressure of distress was felt very severely in Norfolk as well as in Kent, particularly among far. men, who formerly realised from 5001. to 1,6001. This class of per. eons suffered very much ; but the distress was not to be atttributed to the government, for it had originated in a long train of circum. stances, over which the Government had no control. The petition was then ordered to lie on the table. IMPORTS AND IMPORTS. Earl STANHOPE moved for a return of the declared value of French silks imported in 1826 and in the three subsequent years ; also, a return of English silks exported in 1823, and of leather im ported and exported in that year. His lordship also moved for various other returns of exports and imports, and for an account of die expenses of the Preventive Service down to the present time. He understood that the noble duke opposite did not object to the present motion, and,therefove it was unnecessary for him to detain their lordships with any Alienations on the subject. The Duke of WELLINGTON said he did not object to the returns being granted, and said it was his intention to move for further papers on a future occasion. Motion agreed to.—Their Lordships adjourned at a quarter before Eight o'Clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS-TIIUA.DAY. The SPZAKIII took the Chair shortly before four o'clock. Col. SIBTHORP took an opportunity of corrrecting a misrepre. sentation, which had been made in some of the papers, relative to what fell from him on the motion of the Hon. Member for Shaftes. bury, for an intriry into the state of the country. He (CoL Sib. their) had received a letter from a most respectable penes on the subject. He denied that he had stated in the debate alluded to, that Mr. Jacob, when he went down to Lincoln, had been roughly treated. He never said any such thing, What be said was, that he regretted a Noble Duke in the other House of Parliament had not possessed himself of more practical information on the subject of the wool trade than what was derived from Mr. Jacob. He did not, however, attach any blame to the conductors of the public press; and whilst upon this subject, he would take the opportunity of stating that, owing to the absence of a great number of Members attending the Quarter Sessions, he should postpone his intended nip tion for granting greater facilities to the persons engaged in report ing the proceedings of Parliament, until Thursday, the 30th of May next. Mr. J. MARSHALL presented a petition from the clothing dis trict of °menial, in Yorkshire; and also a petition from another clothing district in the same county, praying that the East India charter might not be renewed.—Keferred to the Committee. Mr. A. }:LLIS moved for certain returns relative to the society for superseding the necessity of climbing boys being employed in the cleaning of flues.—Ordered. Mr. H. DAVIS presented a petition from the licensed victuallers of Bristol, against throwing open the trade in beer.—Referred to the committee on beer licenses. Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from the clothing dis. trice of Wortley, in Yorkshire, praying for a free trade with China. Referred to the committee on East India affairs. Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY presented two petitions from Swil. Angulo and Stoke-upon-Trent, complaining of distress.—Ordered to be printed. Sir T. WI NN I NGTON prevented a petition from the county and city of Worcester, complaining of the alteration of the currency, and of general distress. A MEMBER, whose name we could not learn, spoke at some Philiin support of the motion. he petition was then read. Colonel 1) %VIES dissented entirely from the terms of the peti. deo. He considered that, by the introduction of the question of Gummy, the petitioners had been completely misled by one indivi. dual to treat upon a subject of which they knew nothing. He felt certain not one person out of a hundred present at the meeting at which the petition was adopted knew any thing of the currency =Had they petitioned for a reduction in the taxation of ny, it would have been, in his opinion, mote to the purpose. Sir P. BURDETT felt persuaded that it was the change in the illtrency which had caused the present state of distress; but there mimed to him to be every endeavour practised to induce the sosiabsn of the House of Commons to shut their eyes against an Inquiry into the real cause of this calamity. Every practical man of business, whether in commerce or otherwise, 'hat he had con vened with on the subject concurred in opinion as allow this state g ibing, arose. Ihey all attributed it to the change in the currency. le was useless to talk of a reduction of taxes—no reduction tweald be made by Government at all proportionate to the ex tent of the existing state of distress, or at all likely to produce efficient relief, or raise the country from its present depressed state. • (Hear, bear.) He was not one for readily conforming with the doctrines of any writer upon the currency, however high his character; he formed his judgment upon different founds. He did not agree with the principlethat a country is s becalms it is increasing its currency. This, fa his prosperous was hijarious • and that ewrency was the hest that rested on a mote Seal Principle, neither inereaaing nor dimi nishing. To the vacillations in the currency he ascribed the present state of disaster and privation. It was this that had affected the farmer and the annuitant, and d minished their income so materially. He must repeat that it was absurd to suppose that there could be a reduction made in the taxes to an extent proportionate with this di minution of property. He felt gratified by Government taking the duty off beer, and reducing the taxes upwards of three millions ; and he t we ed to see them do more ; but be did not believe that this alone would produce efficient relief. The petition, when printed, he hoped members would read, with the attention its Importance merited. Mr. WARBUKTON said, that by the present measures, it was attempted to relieve one class of persons at the expense of the other. Sir CHARLES BURRELL contended that the alteration in the currency was the principal cause of the present distress, and enu merated instances of evils arising from this change. Mr. BRIGHT confessed he was one of those who believed the 'neindpal causes of our distress might be traced back to the impolitic doors which the legislature had been induced to make relative to the currency. ISir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY conceived it would only be fair and just that, as far as a certain class, and a numerous one, had been displaced by the operation of the change in the currency, the tun ought to retrace its steps, as far, at least, as re. =them, as as to enable them again to semi= that station whence they bad been displaced by the operation of that nice. lisle sure. Mr. EDWARD DAVENPORT said that since the house had in its wisdom decided no: to make the present and similar petitions, from bodies, however numerous, mattes of its serious and special consideration, he had received accounts, on the correctness of which he relied, from three different counties, confirming, or rather en hancing on the statements he had mode, as to the real condition of the country. From Westmoreland, the account states that sheep (the staple commodity of this county) bought at Inverness last August, were now selling under the prime cost. The price of fat cattle was, compared with last year, as 20 to 28. The consumption of butcher's meat in Birmingham among the lower orders, was diminished down to one-third of what it was a few years ago, according to the report of eighteen butchers., of their sales on the Saturday, when the poorer classes laid in their stock for the ensuing week. The rise 'of the tolls was accounted foe by Acts of Parliament, which had increased them, but on the Stourbridge road, where the rate MI6 not altered, the amount was less by one-third than it was. The altered value of property was illustrated by an extraordinary fact :.-A gentleman, well-known, near Fawley, last year disposed of property in printing blocks, estitnated at 40,00 W. for WOOL to a firm . which failed three weeks ago, when this identical property, on being resold, fetched no more than 211. Some 'erasing land in Cheshire. within his (Mr. D.'s) knowledge, now let for 20 per cent. less than it did two years ago ; and a farm sithin five miles of Bimringhasn, which let a few years ago far 243. an acre, now let for I Is. He could add other in. formation if the house were not anxious to go into other questions. Lord J. RUSSELL regretted that the Manner of bringing this subject before the house, or rather the mode in which it was worded by the hen. mother for Sheasebury, lad pieventail the house aiming to any division on that q b u g asilen which the hen, member and his Wends-had inipseelsed as the cause d all the distress in the country. If the bus. baronet the has. memberfer Shelter bury conceived, as they asserted, that the objections relative to the alterations of the currency were not Satisfactorily answered, why did they not move for such men SD would elucidate the subject, and bring the question of the currency directly under the notice of the bane. • After a few words by Mr. WARD, in exphoution of as asser tion made on a former night, as to the quantity of the circulating medium, Mr. DAVENPORT owed die bone sbe ebalbetse moopffeted him by the noble lord shield net be Abed in Ws. He would make the question atlas enuency the ofs dirtiest sod spe cific motion as so= es possible. As to aeeetinsle, be abooM take the liberty et moving fee web se be time toodoeieo as the fur ther's., of that inquiry, Tiding eolooling whether it water was tree 'recoils to the nAlejorL • Mr. W. MAlLSHAlafafealimaldopoliden has. metals persona residing in the to county of York, 'analog dm renewal of the East Ina Company's monopoly to China and the East taw.