Star. — London, England, 1831-02-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, FEB. 15. The LORD CHANCELLOR gave judgment in a Scotch appeal. Lord GODERIChI presented a petition from Bolton, signed by ;4 .000 persons, against the truck system ; one from Lincoln, against & ve ry ; and one from Galway foe extension of elective franchise. Several petitions were presented far Parliamentary Reform. Lord KING presented a petition from St. James's, Clerkenwell, foe a revision of the. Corn lows. The Earl of RADNOR presented the petition of rights (as it was lidded) of the people of Birsnihnm, pray i ng for p ar l iamentary I IlArra. The noble lord describa this to be a most important pd.. : xi ) . it was signed by 21,000 persons • and be expressed a hope that his Majesty's Government would concede election by ballot to the wishes :If the people. He himself was ready to give up every other principle, of reform for the ballot. Lord CALTHORPE supported the petition, and endeavoured to impress open their Lordships the strong claim which the manufacturers ,if Birmingham have to the elective franchise. _ XZW TIMES. Lord LI.LENDOROUGH said, he was desirous of moving for m ans of all those articles upon which his Majesty's Government pro !sou tases, and therefcre gave notice, that he should move for the stuns Thursday. - - ----------- _ . BANKRUPTCY. The LARD CHANCELLOR said, be had the honour to present a petition from a most respectable body, the bankers, merchants, soli. eitors, wholesale and retail dealers of the metropolis. The noble and Icvned lord observed, that he was acquainted with many of the lead. names, and knew them to be highly respectable. The petitioners unounted to 4,500 persona and firms, each firm standing for one pet. .on. The meeting at which the petition was signed was held in the ity of London, and all the signatures affixed in one day. Had the ”etition remained longer be had no doubt the names would have been tors times more numerous. The petitioners said, that the present oys ter of bankrupt laws was injurious to trade in every department ; and tt,y particularly objected to the manner of administering to the estate .041 effects of bankrupts by the Fourteen Lists, and they prayed and entreated their lordships to adopt such measures as may be necessary to .bolibh the Fourteen Lists of Commissioners, and establish a measure which may give confidence and satisfaction to the administration of that most important branch of the law. The noble and learned lord -.dded, that it might be supposed that he took some interest in this petition, after the notice he had given for next Tuesday; but be as :Urea the noble lords that be had nothing to do with it until waited u pon by the leading men in the petition, who requested be would resent it. The petition was then read and laid on the table. The following .s a copy : The humble Petition of the undersigned Bankers, Mer chants, Solicitors, and wholesale and retail Traders of the Metropolis, " Sheweth, " That the present division of the Commissioners of Bankrupts into fourteen ilia, of five each, is highly injurious to the interests of your ptitioners, and the trading part of the community, and unsatisfactory to the public at large. " That the decisions of the Commissioners do not appear to be founded on any fixed principle or general rule, for what is decided by -ne Ilea to be law on one day is pronounced by another list the same day not to be law. That the mode of remunerating the Commissioners, by a fee n each meeting tends to multiply meetings, and thereby increases the already very heavy expense of proceedings under Commissions :v. Bankrupts. ' That from the irregularity and want of punctuality in the at tendance of the Commissioners, the public are constantly put to very considerable inconvenience and expense, and that the whole system o: the administration of the bankrupt law by the Commissioners re luires alteration. " Tour petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that your ho nourable house will adopt such measures as in its judg ment may seem necessary to abolish the present Fourteen Lists of Commissiosen of Bankrupts, and in lieu thereof to establish such a Court u will give to your petitioners and the public at large that confidence which ought to be felt in the administration of so important a branch of the law of the realm. RIVIIIAL Or MI MOW. The Earl of SHREWSBURY manned mend petitions front Ireland for a repeal of the Union. The Noble Lord said the peti tioners requested nothing more than their conultudonal rights; and ' , be expressed an opinion that the late administration had been hostile to the interests of Ireland. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY roes to ask the Noble Earl whether he would support a repeal of the Union? The Earl of SHREWSBURY said be bad not made up his mind upon the subject. The Duke of WELLINGTON meld not hear the Noble Earl say the late Adminhuation was hostile to Ireland. Their measures could prove that they had considered and provided for the interest of ;hit part of the United Kingdom. The Earl of SHREWSBURY ea lame d. psieThaeeNal by y qu th is e of LONDONDERRY, nei g w e l i n a g nd the wa grat property paueoed by the Noble Earl In England and Ireland, war dadrus. of wiles him to stand up in his place and support the repeal of the tvion. He was happy to find the Noble Earl was not prepared to uT toe repeal of the Union would either promote the interest or lupine's of Ireland. The Bishop of LONDON brought in a Bill to amid the aft ilt* builtl.ng new churches, by the appointment of new amminionol..... The bill was accordingly read the first time. The Iliin Emma Prelate took the opportunity to correct a mis-statersent wields had tone forth respecting what he had said about tithes. (Hear hear.) He had said the amount of tithes would give the clergy per hail not 13:;.. per annum, but 1851 Lord KING said the statement of the Right Reverend Prelate tale the tithes amount to no more than three millions. It was to him quite inconceivable bow the tithes of the church did not amount to core than that sum. The Bishop of LONDON said his statement was made from a retiirti of the amount of the tithes laid before Parliament it 1811.— That was a proverous year, and might serve for the average ef tithes in lira The Earl of RADNOR thought the Right Reverend Prelate bad not givtn the whole of the tithes belonging to the estates of al t s church. Lord WYNFORD presented a petition from the west part of Gal way, praying for the protection of the manufacturers of kelp. The Noble and Learned Lord also presented a petition from a family in Stafford, preying for a Law to compel fraudulent debtors to give up their property. The petitioners state the case of a debtor who had long Put them to great loss and suffering, by remaining In the King's Bench Primnr. The Earl of SHREWSBURY presented a variety of petitions from inland praying for a repeal of the subletting and Vestry Bill; against the tithe sy s t em , an d f or a repeal of the -ilative union between Great Britain and Ireland. FREVeNTION or FRAUDS UPON CREDITORS . RILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR urged the propriety of a treble and learned Lord (Wraf or d) postponinu for a short *clod bis merlon for the house going into a committee on the above bill, which steed r that evening ; that bill contemplated a great change in the law of debtor and creditor : moreover, he (the lord chant:l.lkt) hell nearly the same objects in View—Lamely, to get possession of the pro. petty of all fraudulent debtors, in the bill fee law reform, which be was to lay before their lordships in a few days. He therefore trusted that the noble and learned lord would consent to pompoms his modes till Fri. day week. Lord W Y NFO RD begged to assure the noble and leaned lord es the woolsack, that he laboured under a slight mistake regarding nature of his (Lord Wynford's) kill, which was toprevent firing in comfort and luxury, whilst dreirlieest a edltors were Asa lately starving. After a few words from the LORD CHANCELLOR and from Lord W YNFORD, in reply, it was arranged that the bill should be committed on Friday week. Mr. Crater, from the Treasury, presented certain papers telative to 'he trade to Chins ; after which their Lordships adjourned till Thurs day at Tut o'Clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS. There being two Election Committees to be bellowed for, the pllery 1 14 s not opened till half-past four. The Committees were to try the nitnts of the petitions complaining of undue elections for Wigan and ‘Vexford. The following were amongst the Members= the Wigan Klection pe t 4 0T1 I Lord Fitzgerald, Fazakerly, K. O'Furel, T. Wood, Bey fltir, Egerton, 11. P a l mer , H. H owar d, L or d Mandeville, dte. ['Le following were declared to be the Wexford ISeetko Commit '`':—Hon. C. Dander, earga Harr* T. C. Fremantle, H. Clive, H. Dugdale, Trevor,- Pendarvis, Pam. C. J. I "Per, ke. 70111EI AIIPAIIBIL NT R. VIVIAN wishe ON d to Moho t am ps attestke Gll7lll4 far a few stomata of `4 st ottary for Foreign Affairs, as he saw the noble lord (Pahutestoo) °rPostte. As he felt aware this it was competent in ray mcenlem to 03 1tute I question relative to ihmiAto affairs, and ming the noble lord ; i tthr howl of the Foreign IMllos in his pleas, he wished to ask 4 u we of two questions. In dig to do Mishit had aim the last wish t inten t k „ us to throw any abstains in the way Ohio Majesty% Gomm. tut ' but ascertain publications had memo skied, the time had come when, for the honour and interest of this country, an explanation was required. The subject to which he alluded, had been spoken of in the Core at Brussels ; it had also been widely circulated through the imam of the French newspapers. Surely, then, the time had coantabeis some explanation ought to be given on this great and mo maim _question. lIIIr J. NEWPORT spoke to order. When a question was about In bewaitsd, it was not regular to enter into a debate, or make debate ilk d INlfflations. TheSPRAKER h*4 the Honourable Baronet would confine him. Oaf to the bare question, and not enter into arguments or obi*. 'widens. air S. VIVIAN—Then I will read the letter to which I allude, mai afterwards make my comments. The SPEAKER.—The honourable member will see that it is ob. visas la do general rule of asking questions, that they should be pas as lip sal short as possible. To put a question was brmular, but k was as arrangement that all agreed to, for the convenience of t he hawk Ivey member was so far entitled to ask a question of his Majesty% floweement ; but it was not incumbent on the minister to whom it was aildmel, unless he thought proper, to give an answer; but, above all, eissesathas were to be avoided, as they might require answer, sal dew woad be occasioned an irregular debate. Sir R. VI VIAN would then read only the letter, unless he Ibiliebt it necessary to explain. The SPEAKER.—The honourable member will see that he has fallen again into the same error. The explanation is the very thing which involves the point of disorder. Sir R. VIVIAN continued.—He said he had read a protocol signed by the French Minister in England. A letter had also appeared in the public newspsrs of the French Minister (Sebasdani) for Foreign Afairs, dated Paris, Feb. 1, 1831.—Having noticed that letter, the question which he wished to ask was, whether the noble lord had received official notice of this letter ? And also whether he was officially aware of the fact, that there were large bodies of troops at the present time assem bling on the north-east of France ?—(llear.) Lord PALMERSTON said, respecting the first question he could only as , that his Majesty's Government had certainly received from from our Minister there, a copy of the letter to which the boo. bad. alluded ; and, having said thus much, he trusted the house would slink that he would be justified in not adding any thing more in answer. (Hear hear.) For he was sure the house would bear in mind the Lwow vsuierice that must arise to the public service, if subjects were to be filly entered into whilst the subject was under negociation.—(Hear, With respect to the second question, he could state it was certainly true that a certain force was assembling on the north-east frontiers of France, but be believed the numbers of that force had been greatly exaggerated. He would, however, state, that his Majesty's Government continued to receive from the Government of France, not only as re garded the object of this force, but on all other subjects, the most earnest wish and desire that all intercourse between nations should be maintained in the greatest hiendship and amity. The government of France not only expressed these friendly wishes towards Ragland, but gave the most positive assurances of the pacific intentions, as far as the assembling of such force was concerned, towards all the world.— (Hear, bear.) WZW GAME SILLS. Mr. FYLER wished to ask the noble marquis (Chandos) 'be llow it was his intention to persevere in the motion he had given le. kiln to the Game Laws ; namely, to move the second reading of his Sale of Game Bill. The Marquis of CHANDOS replied, that in consequence of a noble lord's ( Althorp's) notice on this subject, he was placed in rather an awkward situation. He had given notice for the second reading of his and in doing so his motive was to make such an alteration in the Game Laws as would satisfy the country. Since then, however, the noble lord opposite (Althorp) had expressed his intention of bringing in a Bill on the same 'object. Such being the case be had prop.d to the noble lord, that the Bills should be referred to a Committee up stairs; and, therefore, before he answered the hon. member the question, he should wish to know whether the noble lord agreed to the proposition ? Lord ALTHORP said, after having seen the noble marquis's bill, he considered it of that nature that left him no alternative but to bring in a new bill, in which it certainly was his intention to persevere. The Marquis of CHANDOS added, that he would under these eir cumstances postpone his Bill for the present ; but if the Noble Lord's measure were not satisfactom he should proceed with his bill (hear). TRADE OF THE COUNTHY. Alderman WAITH MAN then rose to bring forward his proposed resolutions on the exports and imports of the country ; but for some time the noise and confusion in the house rendered it impossible for the bon. member to proceed foe more than one sentence at a time, and that was imperfectly heard in the gallery. The hon. alderman complained of this interruption, observing, that those members who did not desire to hear his statements—be was aware they would be dry ones—bad better withdraw. He had a duty to perform, and he trusted he should not experienee;sech interruptions in the performance of it. (Hear.) Being enabled to proceed, he observed that he bad consulted the public documents, and he had simplified them as much as possible. The subject he had brought before the House during the last two years . The medulla °. be should move were founded on Add documents, but they were intended to show that there bad been the greatest falla cies in those documents, as well as in the King's speeches, for many years. They were calculated to impress on the country that our trade and commerce bad been in the most flourishing °edition—that it had been prospering more and more—than which nothing was more falls dons and false. There had been occasional—and very eseasismel— admissions of distress in the country ; but the general ay bad beets, • it was now, " Oh, our manufactures are increasing." Amidst, however., all that boast of increase, there bad been actual and increasing fallings off in our trade. The difficulties had been increased 'by the currency and other measures; for though all mention of the currency question was exploded, It was admitted that it might have had some effect. His resolutions had three objects—first, to share the increase in the official, and the decrease in the real value of exports. To remedy the difficul ties, various measures bad been proposed—but he declared that, with: out reduction of the people's burdens, there could be no remedies.— To that result they must some at last, scheme as they would; with their present mesas, the people could not pay thepresent amount of taxation. Previously to coming to the details of his resolutions, he must premise that the public accounts and documents w►re the most extraordinary productions that he ever cast his eyes upon. His reso lutions would shew this fact to the attentive observer in a curious point of view. Thus, to quote the language of the first three resolu tions, it appeared, " from papers laid before this house on the Sth of April, 1830, and ordered to be reprinted on the 10th of November in the same year, that considerable variation has takes piece in the Gadd and real mine of British and Irish manufacture ma maw ispinsdl from Great Britain from the year ending the Stb January, 1798, to the year ending sth January, 1830." That " the official valuation, being an estimate founded upon a rate of prices in the custom•boon boots, which had ►een formed at a very remote period, and remaining with out variation, affords no criterion whatever of present prices, but serves to show the increase and decrease in quantity, and the appreciation and depreciation In price, as compared with the declared or real valise." And that—" the following averages, formed from documents before this House, will chew the yearly amount, with the comparative Inman and decrease, upon so average of the repective periods stated : Yearly Yearly Increase Decrease Years Average of Average of of Real of Real ending or. 1 Real over below ....y.... Value. Value. Official . Official. Jan.b, 1799 A x a .1 to . 22,674,252 - 37,793,736 - 16,109,482 - Jan.*, 1803 1808 - 22,662,530 - 37,327,790 - 14,686,1118 - - 1813 • 28,113,613 - 39,908,466 - 11,794.933 • . 1819 - 38,177,225 - 43,791,788 - 5,615,568 - - 1824 - 39,644,638 - 35,282,162 - -- - 1830 - 48,929,230 - 36,713,824 - • adft...— . Thus it appeased, that the increase of real over official vale., la um, was upwards of 15,000,0001. while, in 1804, the decrease el Mel Mew official value was 41 millions: and In 1830 it was neer 131 9111941. The 800. Alderman then read the 4th and 6th resolution. virially. he said it appeared, that " upon an average of ten yea% MIN Me sth of Jsnuary, 1814, the real value of the exports exuded the value by 1 4,887,3711. per annum." And " that wpm the of live years, hom 1814 to the sth Cl January, 1819, the nal walla over racial was d,818,81131. being a dipreeladem in Ave yee m er s eet annum, 9,271.111111." These results Om@ 011 asset ex diferenesa, NA these were what he whisil to be!— is die and the essawy. Tbe lion. Alderman then pegleebelseeiggh deg from the sth of J, s lBl9, the real value eallbilleil "lift VP de. dines and, fame bus so many millions_ jpeeitiam above die °Metal, It beams maim per annum hawk; OA apes the &map of live yea% eating tbe Ns el January, U5l. a llap As. preciaden bad taken plese Urea that of the ma waft pan, to the amount ef 9,875,148 per arems. That epos II Illa - averages, six years,s ending the sth Cl Jeway, 1830, a sill ham dem& ie bd takes plan to the ameta 0 8.912,91111 L per That by adding dm average yea* doom of the real value= Adel la the last five years to the mess of the bet tai reel Is TM be seen that the &laded= Is twenty-eight adlliaillef annum. That the highest peat et mares of the real ova the said vales was in 1803,11 laving Increased clap 1798 from twelve to asody _4, 2 1 1,5 . 91 llNlKT.millions. That the lowest point of &incest= was ID 1829, it Uri% declined to more than twenty millions below the edictal as w il l Ifigaby di following statement from the official returns.. Amount of exports in real value £45,102430 Ditto on official value Excess of real value 1111111. Amount of exports in official value 65,465,725 Ditto is real value • • • • 35,212,873 Diminution of real value - £20,25 1 2,860 Making a depreciation in real value. of £40,159,287 That at the commencement of the last Session this House was assured by the Government, it the Speech from the Throne, " That the exports had exceeded those of any (ono_ es year, and afforded indications of active commerce," although it was admitted "that distress existed in some of the agricultural and manufacturing districts." It appears, however, by papers subsequently laid before this House, that although the exports had exceeded those of the former year in quantity, as denoted by official valuation to the amount of Yet, in real value, they were below those of the former _ year . 937,666 Being a deprecation in that one year 0f.... • • • £4,383461 It was important to consider the depreciation when the house was called upon for reductions on taxation in particular quarters. The Hon. Member said he approved of the duty being removed from printed calicoes, on the broad principle of the measure, notwithstanding what had been said to the contrary on the previous night; and that the tax upon the raw cotton imported would not have the baneful effect which it had been endeavoured to throw upon it. He spoke from experienez. But bringing such reductions into action often visited the trader with weighty sacrifices. In this case there were many merchants who bad already purchased and paid for their stock, perhaps to the amount of 6,0001. 014.000 L all of which, or most, now remains on hand, till the law of reduction came into operation, as the people would defer further purchases till that time, and then the merchant, if he did dispose of his whole stock, could not realize within a great deal of his purchase price. He did not mean to upbraid his Majesty's govern ment: in making this allusion, but he had alluded to it as pleading on the port of those in the trade. It was not to give opposition to, or to harass, ministers, that be had made the allusion; but it was for the pur pose of placing these facts in their view, that they might be better enabled to judge of such measures as were best to have in view. The re duction of the tax upon cotton, in all other respects, would have the most salutary effects. A penny a pound was to be charged on the raw cotton, and one pound of cotton was sufficient to manufacture four yards of calico ; there were threepence halfpenny taken off the yard of printeil calico, by which there was a relief afforded of threepence farthing on each yard of calico. But although the relief was thus apparent, the immediate sensation would be,that the Spring trade would be paralyzed, as this was the season when that was pushed. forward. The hon. mem. her said, that all ministers bad, by their policy, tended to diminish our export trade, not, indeed, in amount, but in real value. Although that trade may be represented to be brisker, if prices are ruinously low com merce must be in a bad state. The hon. Alderman then proceeded to give a statement of the exports at real value to the effect that setting aside the official valuations and comparing the actual value of the ex ports of latter years with those of the former, an alarming decrease will appear to have taken place in the foreign trade of the country, as will be seen by the following averages taken from the same document : Ten Years Yearly Amount ending of Exports in Increase. Decrease. Real value. 6th Jao. 1808 . 37,335,763 - - 1819 . 41,850,117 1830 . 36,517,609 - - - 4,514,354 - 6,3.12,508 Whereby it appears, thit upon an average of ten years, ending the 6th Jan. 1819, the exports had increased above four millions and a half per annum, about a fair ratio with the increase of population. That the exports upon the average of the last eleven years, compared with the previous ten years, have, notwithstanding the great increase of popula tion, fallen off above six millions and a quarter pet annum.—The hon. Alderman next quoted a statement of exports and imports --That the lan ports It will be seen, taken by the same official valuation, bear no n to the exports; the latter having increased, from 1798 1 1 01711 1 : including foreign and colonial produce, from twenty -911 Pea to sixty-nix millions, being an advance of thirty-nine millions ; while, in the same period, the imports have increased only from 26 to 42 millions, being an advance of 17 millions only—not one-half of that of the exports. Yearly Laporte and Imports uppoon the following averages. with the relative di6ermea in amount. Relative Di ending Yearly Yearly Exports. Yearly Imports. minution of Imports. sth Jan. 1808 ... 431,723,826 £26,598,449 .. 15,127,177 1819 .. 44,441,502 30,018,295 ... 14,423,207 1830 ... 54,532,817 38,2966,055 ... 18,238,462 Exports and Imports of the last two years. Yews aiding Exports. Imports. Difference. sth Jam 1829 ... 61,948,383 43,536,187 .. 18,412,196 1830 ... 86,072,164 42,311,649 23,760,515 Whereby it appears that than was in the last year a relative difference in the imports as compared with the exports of the same year, both taken at official nine, to the immense amount of nearly 24,000,0001. per annum. That it further appears, that whilst the quantity of exports of the last year had exceeded the exports of the prior year, to the amount of 4,123,7811. there was a decease in the imports below the imports of, the price year, to the amount of 1,225,5361. being a relative deficiency in one year of 5,349,3171. That it is also to be observed that of those imports there was 1,902,3141. less retained for bane consumption than in the prior year. And of these imports, above three millions and a half was in earn; and in the last four years the importation of corn amounted te above nine millions. That the gross amount of excess, of the exports over the imports, was as follows, at the stated periods : In ten years up to 1808 above.... £ 5,000,000 1819 above.... 144,000,000 1830 .... above .... 200,000,000 T0ta1..... 2349,000,000 That In the last two years, the excess of the exports over the imports was forty-two millions.—That without attempting to draw concludes' from each coincidental circumstances, it cannot escape observance, that periodic/the greatest fluctuation, depression, and distress have oeseeet at rehab when certain legislative measures have been under considerades, arias Operation. Yet the bon. Alderman was sorry to say, that Teresa& Wens ham the pork were not attended to under these circuaistames. yollims of tho ahlgo.owners had been neglected, and so bed may Mhos Wiese mil that now we must not touch the currently became k bee bed dirt apseatk•t bee be was prepared to show that be operatioa l bed nett pet waged it its Aims. The trade of the colonies had been mess MOM to thee that at this country, and the colonies were as ca pable ttt isnaufeetenbag as we were at home. There had been no W oman of amportadon to the colonies except about 18,000.00011'. of cot. ton t fst , :which had been carried out of the country to be exchanged with f thereby encouraging manufactures abroad and tending to shut them up at home. The hen. Alderman then proceeded to state —That by comparing the year ending sth of January, 1818, to the year 1815, a period of three years only, the depreciation in the real value of exports below that of' the oflicial, amounted to 9,130,845 L—That the retrace then assigned by the members of the Ciovernmeat were, a revulsion horn war to peace, and the preparations making by the Bank for the resumption of cash payments; and in 1817 a Bill was passed for prolonging the Bank restriction for two years. That the year 1818 was comparatively a mtuperoas year; mime bed es far re covered, that the depreciation biounce lees than that of the homer yen by 2,103,940, That la the year 1819 mama were adopted Wedge to the air msg ; prices again declined; a i red of great Mama mined ; and in the you ending sth January, die deposhilan had hike so fee hello that at the year 1818, • a* s of six }am, am to mom to 13.6401111. That in the year 1822 di. Small Ness DM pared; and in 1815 piles' had again so far rearmed, that, compared with the . ceding year, the depreciation had bees keened by That is 1898 measures respecting the arawasy, and other sasa. sures, which were said to have for disk object the atumehm of commerce and navigation, the impeovement of rte, the in. ernes of the manufactures, and the tanned at public deems, came into operation,—but, notwithstanding the mairleat assu. rams held out, great distress and emterrammat ham fallowed, end continued, with more or less severity, to the meow time; mad In the year arias nth January. lfik compasod with 1181 (a period of four years), the demseistion had Amber horsessi Wend that before stated, to the amine of 1 ,MIL hessweallie athigmten had made these eggenems te the beam emir three heti. and hod admvenred to draw their attention to dim. He had entiamearal le spin the eyes of the public, to show dim 11 we lied gee was we metesid to , have done in ~odes gooperity, we must have been new the envy and admile of the mull. (Hear, bear, hum) lbs be. nourable Alderman tamed pram of the Wog% I a yesebilheetr. sal years, way ewe of Oil admitted of any to to embamewitiowt of he erstar bet all et them el 12 ammeree and 'passel yeasyeeity Tb. shie Aldose, 4:11 111 2 any errs aka hearing three seemllans, easaM i t sd om so edema a senges.-fame is threes, yam aftl in g u E sad sight deer sight ht the hems, if it were not be call ML ad.' isms se his Majesty, wenicarsierny and loyal' we bed el ties been despised, sod were labouring mast is slim et in dle. Make; we had only bees abused and imposed ape. pen ellig pss!, and night sin night; he the fame were, that sem me is 411116 Ras woo asMally !hiss an their capital, or were meldeismespedisiii with their median ; and the distress amens the masiOnsers wee very grams at this atement Let my mm walk the sum* if sid OM,* be, seeds have degreased is vales, and be 1111= Iblif biflrsallk IS per mat. The bon. Aldermen emeslated that Milt et el* monatry that seeds were yearedln w t i f h. lie alllrleii~eeetn, ahssa, es. tea. Arm closeain Teti • of m~ei~us~gtteds to rams, mar of ear Wit h gm estesies. He was net favourable to a pro. party tax, if it would carry with it any inquisitorial powers; bu something must be done to bring down property to prices, or t u bring up prices to property. He knew that the country had great er - petitions from the present Government, and he had a good opinio n of them; but the country had had too much of that kind of laudatory ad marliiien)lrmdy. The honourable Alderman eulogized Lord Althorp end Sir James Graham for their candour and good qualities., and added, hut no man has a hold of public opinion. The haeurable Alderman ass* that a commutation of taxes wadd not bring relief. He thought ministers had done tight in withdrawing their motion regarding the tax en the transfer of stock ; it Mewed the peeper spirit of the ministry, that they did not enter the house as liana ministers had done, who came down with arrangements to carry every measure, and the house ready to grant whatever they asked. It showed that the house was bt ooming what it ought to be, and it was determined to nave an opinion of its own; and he thought it unjust that ministers should be blamed for yielding to the opinions of the representatives of the people. From a wish not to throw obstacles in the way of the ministers, he bad refrain ed from making many remarks that he otherwise would have done ; all that he wished was to have their attention drawn to the facts, and to have them laid before the house. The hon. member then read his statements as a string of resolutions, adding the following two additional ;—That under such comparative changes and fluctuations, and the alarming de. pension in the value of the manufactures and produce of the country, affecting so deeply all its productive interests, rendering taxation nearly double in its oppressive operation, and bearing with such peculiar se verity upon all the middle and labOuring classes of society, who are now suffering the greatest distress and privation ; it has become imperiously necessary to adopt a speedy inquiry, and to devise the most efficacious means for relief.—That without at present giving any opinion as to the causes, and the remedies, this house cannot but express its confidence that his Majesty's government will satisfy the just expectations of the country, by a prompt and effectual inquiry into the causes that have pro dared such difficulties and distress, and adopt such measures as may be hest cokulsted for their removal. Mr. IRVING accounted far the gross amount of reduction in the returns of prices of manufactured goods on the ground of the amount of taxes that had been removed. 'il'ithiu the period the hon. Alderman had quoted toe his comparisons, there had been thirty millions of taxes removed ; and merchants could not expect to have the same prices for the goods, with that decrease of burden in the taxation, that they had before the reduction took place. It was true that the public must feel the advantage ; but those concerned in trade will find a diminished value in their stocks. Ile was not an enemy to the MUM being taken off when they were removed at proper tames. If there had taken place the amount of decrease inferred by:the hon. Alderman, the wealth of the country could not have withstood so large an amount. He differed in opinion with the hon. Alderman regarding the colonial trade. (Hear.) He (Mr. Irving) considered that trade to be most important. Mr. ROBINSON said the house was much indebted to the hon. Alderman, for bringing forward the subject. He took a brief view of the bad effects of the delusive representations of the state of the coun try, and also of the erroneous principles that wets inculcated in the pin losophical notions of those who advocated the doctrines of free trade. He cited the principles of Mr. iluskissoa. He said that in consequence of the burdens of the country the manufacturers had beta constrained to resort to ingenuity and had introduced machinery, so that the la bourer was under the necessity of contending against machinery, and this had occasioned a great portion of the misery that existed in the country. The hon. member alluded to the circumstance of Mr. Can ning having been frustrated in his attempts to modify the corn laws by the Duke of Wellington • and he remarked the readiness with which so many could stand f orward to protect the agricultural interest. and how indifferent the same parties were abouehurling buttheus upon, and cramping the means of,, the manufacturing and mercantile interests. He was the advocate for a property tax, comprising all kinds of property, and including absentees. It would being many within the range of taxation who were now, comparatively, not subjectted le it. It was the only remedy, in his opinion, for our complicated financial difficul ties. What was the great objection to it ? Honourable Gentlemen who opposed the tax, wee greater losers by the increase of poor.rates, and of assessed taxes, and by the present miserable excise system. With respect to machinery, its continual increase would place the labour ing population In great difficulties. On the subject of the wine duties, the Noble Lord said that we should bring Dearer the ties between England and France. But was be sure that France would give us reciprocity ? He (Mr. Robinson) was for not abandoning the trade of our colonies which was sure and always open to us, rot a foreign one, uncertain and precarious, and which, by the present measures at least, could not be made to indemnify us fora loss of a trade; to which we owed a great wt of our prosperity. Mr. W. WHITMORE had heard, with surprise, what had fallen from the Honourable Member on the subject of machinery. Had it not been [for the improvements in our machinery, for the inventions of our Watts and of our Arkwrights, in vain should we have attempted to maintain the struggle of .the least war, and instead of being the richest, and, perhaps, the most powerful of nations, we should have been comparatively unimportant. With respect to trade, he did not with, as had been said, to foster foreign trade at the expense of the colonial. He was for leaving trade alone—for leaving indi viduals to employ their capital in the way they thought fittest ; sure that :each was the best judge of his own interest. Govern ment had been urged to a property taxi reserving his observa tions en that subject to the time, he hired not far distant, when the house would be called on to co nsider it, be should new merely say that a property tax was the greatest curse which could be indicted on the nation, and that those who were now eager for the =MOM would, after a few years' trial, be as lefllCTi in calling for its repeaL With respect to the corn laws, be was for removing that as well as other monopolies. A free trade in corn would give !the poor effectual relief, far more so than any of the measures to which they were having successively re. course. The worthy Alderman had dwelt much on the change which bad taken place in the difference between the real and official value of our exports. He thought this point could be explained without the country be. kg necessarily in estate of ruin. The causes would be fouud party in the change of currency certainly, but partly also in the circumstance of ar ticles being made at preaent at much lees cost than formerly. The prices of the raw materials of cotton, of silk, and of every other, bad fallen greatly, from various new sources of supply being open to us, which were shut during the war, or which had sprung up since. Thus, Brazil, which supplied us abundantly with cotton, was entirely a new source. Fifteen years ago, our annual import of cotton was 460,000 bales ; it was at present 800,000. The same augmentation held with respect to silk, wool, and indeed every article; and if we looked twenty years back, we should find that the quantity of these articles imported and manufactured had more than doubled. Could it be said, under such circumstances, that our manufactures were in a declining state In his opinion there never was a time when they were in such a thou. Tithing condition, and, with the help of free trade, they would, he was nonfident, not only continue in that state of prosperity, but' would go on progressively improving.--(Cheers.) Mr. WALLACE could not agree with the Member kw London, that our exports were more advantageous than our imports, and that we were losing each year large sinus by our foreign trade. The feet was, that our exports balanced our imports, for the latter were paid for in the former. The Hon. Member had next said, that taxation was no evil, that is, that high prices are no evil (hear.) He agreed with him that our corn duties should be definitively settled. The farmers would have more security for their capital, and the land kids foe their rents. But he differed from him with respect to our manufactures. He believed, and he could speak on the subject with confidence, that since the peace there had not been so ;odd a trade in manufactures uin the last two or three years (hear.) It had been mid that manufacturers carried on their trade with km ; but if such were the case they would give it up after a sheet ex peritnce.With respect to the change in thecurrency,admitting all the evils which had,baseehe consequence of that measure, he hoped Parliament would never again deal with the subject, and repair a former:injustice, by wronging those who had made their engagements under the present currency. honk observations had been made restricting certain expor tations. He was for a free exportation in every article, even in ma. chinery. Parliament bad passed an Act forbidding the export of the latter article; but this did not prevent foreign countries from bavirg a knowledge of our machinery. They could imitate it from drawings made in this country. The prohibition, in fact, served only as a bounty on smuggling. With respect to free trade, the member for Worcester had sail that importations should be restricted, because our taxation had raised the price of labour beyond the power of competition. He could state, m a fact, that the last articles that were manufactured from silk in this country, previous to the introduction of foreign manufac ture, would now be scarcely saleable. (Hear, bear.) He was cosi dent.—to state the fact broadly—that the skilled labour of this country was the cheapest in the world, and enabled us to drive the manu factures of the countries where labour was cheapest out of the mar ket.—(Hear, bear.) Mr. WA RD thought the enlightened ideas of the hon. gentleman en the subject of currency were such as should never be abeam from the minds of all those who thought It important to maintain an honest standard of value. (Hear, hear.) lie lamented that be could not agree in the resolutions moved by his lion. colleague ; but as the subject had been sufficiently discussed, be should not enter into it. He hoped the house would bear with bias, and that the noble lord would have the goodness to state again what he bad said last night on the opinion given by the Governor of the Bank, on the subject of the tax ea the transfer Of . funded property ; he was sorry to trespass OD the noble lord Of the house, but the subject was felt to be so important, that accurate bforn.a. lion on it was exceedingly desbable. Lord ALTHORP said, be had only to tamale wbet.he bed stated last night, which was, that the Governer of the Beek had authorised him to my that the measure he proposed was perfectly pouch:able, and that there could be no difficulty in ascertaining bons Ode Mossectioas in the transfer of stock, and that the same ameemedation eerie lave bees given by the Beak in IMO that was gives, bed the tax thin existed. H 6 did not state, nor was he authorised to slats, that the Bonner of th e B a sk a pproved of the tax, but steady that he gave his *Mend its being perfectly praetkable. Ta reply Ie what had foam hes the her. -*we fee Worcester, be would owe trim that be bed so intention of