Star. — London, England, 1821-02-09 00:00:00

remain in that state, as the number of unemployed hands was increasing daily ? Should the Noble Lord go fairly into the Committee, he should have his support. But he feared that the time was coming, when the majority of the country, having nothing to lose, would have nothing to fear. He asked for no partial boon to the Agriculturist that was not equally beneficial to the community at large. Mr. W. PEEL stated, that the town of Birming ham was in a most distressed state, and if inquiry was wished for b'y the Petitioners, it ought to be granted. Mr. ROBINSON said, that the opinions that had been delivered tended to overthrow a solemn Act of Parliament, passed two years ago ; but to repeal that Act would be neither wise nor safe. Another plan approved by the Honourable Gentleman opposite was of a fearful nature—to reduce the interest of the Public Funds. It might produce a temporary ad yantage, which would be followed by irreparable mischief. It was not the duty of Government to pro pose such measures, or to undo what had been done by solemn Acts of the Legislature. Mr. BARING was surprised that the Right Ho nourable Gentleman had not stated his opinions more fully, though he fully agreed in what had fallen from him. There was neither honour nor honesty in seeking for relief by a fraud on the public creditor; if one part of the public property was touched, the whole must become insecure. Mr. tURWEN said, he would be the last man to recommend a breach of faith with the public credi tor, if it could possibly be maintained. Mr. BARING resumed, and stated that the Peti tion had properly been treated in a general manner, as the distress was by no means confined to Birming ham. In the sixth year of peace there was no pros pect of things returning to a settled state, though it would be unfair to impute that to the existing Go vernment. The local distress - of Birmingham was in a considerable degree to be ascribed to the falling off in the American market. Whatever Parliament in- tended to do, it was of the utmost importance to know from whence the distress arose. His own opi nion was already made up ; but when he said it arose from our paper currency, he hoped he should not be understood as wishing to return haitily to an unli mited payment in cash. The price of corn did not depend upon anything but the depreciated state of our currency. The quarter of corn now at 50s. would produce as much in shoes and clothes, &c. as it did v..:,en it was at 80s. It was owing to t he depreciated currency of the country that the farmers, who had made fair speculations, were now in jail, which he knew to be the case in many parts of Somersetshire. Ile had seen comparative statements of the consump tion of castle slaughtered in Birmingham, and it was evident from those, that the consumption of the arti cles of toOd had decreased. The Petitioners stated these facts; but they added, that there seemed to be' an increase in the consumption of Exciseable articles. The real fact was, that the increase in the Excise arose fiom the new taxes, and from the increase of the unproductive over the productive consumer.— The fact was, that unless they knew the real situation in wl:ic:1 they stood, they never could expect to get cut of that situation. The first thing they should look Iv. was the expenditure of the State. If they said that . 60 were equal tts 80 in the price of corn, their object should be to try to get back from 80 to GO in expenditure. They could never get the cur- Leacy to anything like the old standard, but by a diminution in the expenditure. A great part of the distress of the country arose from Gentlemen keep ing up their rents, expecting that things would mend. This was not a very pleasant truth to be told to Gen tlemen of 1 lige landed property, or even to himself. What he wished was a Committee of the whole House to inquire into the best mode of restoring cash pay ments without hurting the paper currency. He thought he should then be able to shew that the pound sterling was considerably above its par value. In Ireland paper was, in reality, three per cent. above par value. These evils should be cured gradually. Mr. ‘VESTERN implored the House, in the first place, to inquire ioto the truth of the allegations con tained in this Petition, which stated that the consump tion of articles absolutely necessary had decreased in no less than thirteen different articles. These facts proved incontestably the union between Commerce and Agriculture. Whenever agriculture flourished, commerce and manufactures revived. He could not conceive how a reduction in the Landholders rents could have any effect in relieving the general dis tress of the country ; and he was sure that he would be borne out in this , opinion by the great bulk of the tenantry of the country. Mr. iticanno had just risen ; when, from the ex cessive and unnatural heat of the House, from the concealed flues, General PAXESHAM fainted, and was at last carried out into the SPEAKER'S garden. Mr. RICAItDO then went on.—He knew that the distresses of the country were attributed by some to excessive taxation, by others to a depreciated cur rency, and by others to a sudden transition from war to peace. For his part, he thought the fall in the price of corn had dccurred in a strange and extraordinary manner. The alteration in the value of the currency had only been from six to seven per cent. and it was totally impossible to say that such a difference could have arisen from that cause in the price of corn. Wine had fallen, he understood, twenty-five per cent. and cotton had fallen considerably too, which shewed that this extraordinary decrease was not peculiar to this country. His great object always had been to have a fixed value of currency, rather than to restore it, that it might not depend upon a Company of Merchants, however respectable they might be, to alter it almost at pleasure. But even during the utmost fluctuation in the value of the currency; there vas no particular distress in the country—(Heer.)— lie would, therefore, beg his I lonourable Friend (Mr. Baring) to consider well, whether lie could fairly attribute the present distress to the state of our currency alone. All taxes, he contended, fell on the article produced ; and if they did not fall on any other than the consumer in the end, what right had the grower of the corn to raise the price of his com modity ? If, however, it should be necessary (which • he hoped would never be the case), to reduce the interest to the Fundbolder, he trusted it would be done fairly and openly, and not by paying him in a depreciated currency, or in any other underhand means. The cause of the fluctuation between gold and silver in price arose from the wavering timidity of the Bank. lie did not believe that a single person had taken a single piece of bullion from the ' Bank since the people might by law detnand pay ments in gold for certain sums. That should shew the Bank that it stood perfectly safe. He agreed that the first thing to be looked at was the state of our expenditure. Mr. PEARCE said, a little practice and experience is worth a great deal of philosophy. He knew not how the Bank was to have received its payments from abroad, except in bullion, in the course of which it had taken every care to secure to itself the advan tage of the exchanges. Alderman HEYG ATE contended, that the distress of the country was general, and not confined to the Agricultural Interests. That was the fact in Ame rica more than in any country in Europe. The new plan of cash payments was not understood by nine tenths in the country, enveloped as it was in jargon and technicalities. He agreed that there was no re medy, except economy and retrenchment. Any al teration in the value of the interest of the funded pro perty must be discussed in that` House, and the time consumed in that discussion would be employed in depriving this country of her capital ; for there would be an immediate run on the Bank for bullion, in order to procure an investment of our capital in foreign Funds. He believed that the only remedy was to be found in patience and an attention to economy. He maintained, that Mr. Ricardo's plan of payment in bullion had injured the country to the extent of 25 millions ; and in America, a similar plan had pro duced an injury of nearly 40 per cent. The Petition was then brought up and read. Mr. I3ARING differed with Mr. Ricardo in the value of the currency, which had been, in his opi nion, from '25 to 30 percent. instead of being, as that Gentleman had said, only from sto 6 per cent. Ile admitted that there had been a fall in the price of agricultural production ; but there had been a fall in cottons, hardware, and other articles of manufac ture. All the great mercantile transactions on the Continent, at Hatnliurgh, Genoa, and France, where they had, as once in this country, a double standard and tender of gold and silver, had never produced any depreciation in the cur: ency of those countries. Thus, it was evident that, if confined to one rnetal, , they would get cramped by not being allowed to pay in one metal when there was a scarcity of the other. . . Mr. RICARDO contended, that if gold here had risen to 20 or 25 per cent. it must, at lt.!tst, have risen in Russia and France in the same proportion. Mr. ATTWOOD contended, that the gold had gone out of the country as the sovereigns were issued. The Petition %vas thea ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed. _ _ _ Mr. J. RICE moved for a Return of all Sums paid for the last ten years to the Grand Juries of Limerick ; and of the Stinn advanced to the Freemen of the City of Linicrici fur the last ten years.—Granted. • Mr. ELLICE moved that the Petition of J. Webster, against the return for the Borough of Losainey, should be di...charged, en account of the bankruptcy of the Petitioner. Mr. G. Forster, the agent for Mr. Webster, was called in, and stated, that he had a copy of the Commission of rtankruptcy under the Great Seal.—Leave was then moved to withdraw the Petition. Mr. ELLICE, in aliswer to some observations on the part of 3lr. BARING And Mr. LOCKHART, StAted that was :in Assiznee under the Commission. After a few words from the Srr_txxa, the Order was discharged, Mr. BEA U MONT put off his motion, relative to Sheriffs refusing to call County Meetings, till Wednesday next. The C I IA NCELLOR of the EXCI I EQU Eli obtained leave to bring in a Bill to facilitate passing the Public Accounts. Lora A I.TIIOR I E gave notice of a motion, on the part of Sir Janes Mackintosh, for information respecting the Circular of the Allied Sovereign;. Mr. CHEF:VEY put cIT his motion, respecting the Committee of Supply, till to-morrow. Mr. ',USW NGTON presented an Account of the Nett Du ties on Foreign Spirits mid lirandy.—Ordered to lie on the table. The Longitude Amendment bill went through a Committee. Report tomorrow.—Adjourned at Twelve o'Ch.ck. Tll E EVEN EN( AR.ST LONDON. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1521. THE FUNDS. TRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONK O'CLOCK : Bank Stock 228 229-3 per Ct. Red. 73 3 / 4 'Vs 3 per Ct. Cons. 72 3 / 4 % 1 ,6-31 per Ct. Sri 5 / 3 4 per Cent. 91 IA 1 h 1 / 4 -5 per Cent. Nav y IOGIA I/ 2 Imp. 3 r er Cent. 72 1 / B —lndia Szeck 2;io India Bonds 425. pre.—Exchequer ss. 4s. 6s. pre. Cons. for Account, 73 72 1 / 4 3/1. The proceedings in the Court of King's Bench yes terday, will form a memorable epoch in the history of the Law of Libel. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT was sentenced to p.:y a fine of £2,000, and to be im prisoned Three Months in the King's Bench, for the Libel which he was charged to have published in a Letter to his Constituents, after the unhappy affair that took place at Manchester, in August, 1819, Some of the Morning Papers talk of the sentence as being extremely lenient. As far as the parting with a sum of money, comparatively small to a man of property, or even the mere circumstance of three months imprisonment to a person whose wealth will enable him to command every accommodation compatible with confinement, the sentence may be' called lenient ; this arises, however, merely out of circumstances ; for such a sentence, to many persons, would occasion irretrievable ruin. But, in! fact, even to Sir FRANCIS, (if we understand the new Laws that were passed after the Manchester business,) the sentence is most tremendous. It has been said, " How lenient has the Court shewn itself, In not requiring security from the Baronet for his fu ture good conduct."—" In not requiring security !" What better security could be demanded than what the law, as it now stands, has provided? namely— SEVEN YEARS TRANSPORTATIONfor a iecond conviction ! We shall be happy to find (for we have not a copy of the Act at hand while we are writing) that our re collection of its enactment, in this 'Articular, is incor rect. It is possible that the second conviction may relate to a SECOND OFFENCE, committed After the passing of 1 the law. That is, the Act, instead of being an ex 'post facto law as to the offence, may exclude offences' committed prior to its date—if so, Sir FRANCIS'S second conviction (should another take place) will not send him to Botany Bay. But what a question to argue ! We shall, for the present, leave it to others to canvass ; and, if we mistake not, it will be can vassed keenly by many who have never duly con templated the nature of the Bills that followed in the train of Lord Sinetourit's letter of thanks to the Magistrates of Manchester. The Paris Papers of Tuesday arrived this forenoon. On Monday, the Prince DE CASTELCICALA, Am bassador Extraordinary from the Two Sicilies, pre sented to the KtNo, at a private audience, a letter from his Sovereign, in answer to that by which Count D; BLACAS was accredited to his SICILIAN MAJESTY in quality of Ambassador Extraordinary. The Chamber of Deputies were on Monday occu pied with a Report on a number of Petitions. The most remarkable of these was one from a M. SIMoN LARIERES, late Chief of Battalion, who complains of having been arbitrarily deprived of half-pay, and struck from off the list of Officers of the Army, in consequence, as the Minister of War wrote to him, of " a Report made to the KING of his conduct being reprehensible, and of his professing principles in opposition to the Government." The Petitioner states, that he was placed on half-pay at .the disbandment of the Army of the Loire. Fourteen', years of active service, at that period, thirteen cam paigns,' a superior rank obtained on the field of battle, in 1814, &c. had given him an incontrovert ible right to the half-pay which was then allotted to him.—" My principles," continues he " are my pro perty ; as long as I do not express them by external acts, no person has a right to Se offended with them, wei c they even in opposition to those of the Govern ment. Opposition is the essence of a Representative Government. But it is not you, Gentlemen, who are called upon to hear my justification. You have nei ther to absolve nor to condemn; you are to judge only the arbitrary act." The Petitioner concluded by saying that his cause was that of all the Officers on half-pay, and by invoking the justice of the Chamber. This Petition, as may naturally be supposed, pro duced a very considerable sensation. The Com mittee, in reporting on it, gave it as their opinion, that die act complained of fell within the limits of the Royal prerogative, and therefore recommended, that the Chamber should pass to the Order of the Day on the Petition. General DONNADIEU, who had recently suffered under a similar act of arbitrary administration, con eluded an impassioned speech by 'moving, that the Petition should be referred to the Minister of War. A discussion of some length ensued; after which, the question being put to the vote, the motion for passing to the Order of the Day was carried without a division. M. BENJAMIN CONSTANT afterwards complained to the Chamber of .a libel, in the nature of a breach of privilege, by another Deputy, M. PROSPER 'WARD. The complaint appears to have been rather an idle one. It produced only laughter, and M. CONSTANT was pronounced to be out of order in preferring it. French Five per Cents. Monday, 83f. 20c. We learn with much satisfaction that the Govern ment allot 100 Acres of Land to each Family of the Emigrants, from Glasgow and Paisley, who are going out to Upper Canada, and £lO to each individual on his arrival, provided they themselves are at the ex pense of going out. They have received consider able assistance both at Glasgow and Edinburgh.— But their Funds are yet insufficient. An earnest ap peal will therefore be made to the friends of reli gion, industry, and good order, in London, in be half of this suffering and truly .deserving body of men. The most satifying attestations of their charac ter for industry and peaceable deportment, and of ut ter inability to support themselves and families at home, have been sent from Jour; FARQUHAR Gon- DON, Esq. and J. G. HOPKIRK, Esq. Advocates, Edinburgh, from the Reverend HEN AY GREY, Edin burgh, and the Reverend Doctors Bus and 4 '4ARDLAW, Glasgow, and other most respectable -Gentlemen. There are, it is presumed, tew cases which have a more legitimate claim on the hu mane notice of good men, and especially, of their our countrymen resident in London. In the spring of last year, upwards of fifty families, in great dis tress, were, at the expense of the inhabitants of Glas gow and the neighbourhood thereof, furnished with means to defray their travelling expenses to Upper k Canada. Yesterday morning, at nine o'clock, hi s M AJEST Y held a Court at his Palace in Pall-Mall, which was attended by all the Cabinet Ministers. His MAJESTY left town yesterday at twenty minutes past eleven o'clock, in his travelling-carriage, for Brighton, escorted by a party of the 10th Hussars. lesterday, at one o'clock, the Princess AUGUSTA left her apartments at the KING's Palace, for Brighton. Yesterday, the Princess SOPHIA visited the Duchess of CtoneNce. Yesterday, the Duchess of CLARENCE took an air ing in her carriage in the Parks. The Duke of CAMBRIDGE arrived at Cassel on the 20th ult. on a visit to the Landgrave FREDERICK. Yesterday the Duke of WELLINcritoN gave a.grand dinner to the Earl of LIVERPOOL, and a select party of Noblemen, at Apsley House. Yesterday Mr. HUNTER, a King's Messenger, ar rived at the Foreign Office, in Downing -street, with dispatches from Laybach. Last night an Admiralty. Messenger left town with dispatches for Naples. most at bf to made when hundred party. them trice ; through severely their e- the _ hitting sem:, ceived fresh quantity over frog demand, gave. visions, Alt ll T HbEy ea l l m utt- Ma r tia l r Captain G oucu , of the First i ß riic e ‘h gi ti sn isi e naaatfotic4:l.l, . :llol.l ...: " A Guards, who was tr ied ta, badge Barracks on the 17th nit . on clea r ferret by Lieutenant-Colonel CAM AC ha s • W ei nourably acquitted. 0 The 85th Infantry have received their ro ots, first division, three companies, marched lko n.; soh ton for Portsmouth on Tuesday, there to er n m b7 rk C fe o w rf d u a on ys, tSoatemurdbarayk: for r e the head-quarters of the Regiment. NAVAL INTELLIGENct lc The Ann and William, Bare, from Plytneath foundered at sea on the 6th ult. FALMOUTH, Feu 6.—Wind die Meese. from London for Batavia; Amnon, Hau sa . • Lady Popbam,JEKEINS, front ditto for Jam a i ca; • . from ditto for St. Vincent's; Mary, Cori. q, fr oa ,"4. Sc. Lucia - Margaret, Steteson, front ditto l e t T elenet &Ilona, Luta, from Newcastle fur Rio Janeiro. ; Due ' Frs. B.—Wind S.—Can r down fame thr & Barton, Ossuitisci, for Jamaica ; and Wesnnorelana • vet ' for the West Indies. The outward-bound remain, hai away as soon as the ebb tide mak e s. , PLYMOUTH, Faa. 7.—Wind S.L—Arrived the Barri e %usu.,' from St. Michael's. Sailed the Two trotear. ea for Waterford. PORTSMOUTH, Fes. R.—Arrived his Majesty's ship G m , • from a - cruize. Put back the Thomas, lama. Slew h i ; jesty's ship Comatose, on a t ruize ; Caroline, Serra; j Onyx, for llonduraa ; Kitestun, laa.asar, fin J ena ,. ; '- Jubilee, FAIREURN, to the Westward. SCILLY, Frs. 6.—Several casks of butter and somek aerti been picked up on the shore of several of the adjacent isa a a . Ceseent.liotter, Fri. B.—Ships Entered Inwards: and .A riadne, from Palermo; Ann, front Para; M ary, tive, from Dublin : Vrow Petina, frcni Caen; lkdo„ d, St. Michael's ; Mary, from Messina ; alarg ,ret, aril from Demerara; Lad Wellington, fr om •11.uletra; ale • ford, from Madras . — Entered Outwards: The Arno, fu r . Venerable, anti Elizabi!th, for Elsinore; Trideot, frrltaT. • neiro ; Reliaace, for Hamburgh ; Geurge, for Lebec/ ; h e for Calais • Deux Seers, for Havre ; a ;n l for A rta ,. Cleared du:wards The Atalanta, for Jamaica, sad et- 1 for Dublin. • Extract from the Tech go Gozcite of the 10th of Notari es- " We are inforn,ed by a Caalenun lately from at. linty , mew's, that the American privateers, acting under the N a l commission of General A neteas, had of late sent revert pe a the uninhabited Islands el its neighbourhuod. Tea e sakti remained on the Island bat three weeks, and &want/metal there arrived seven fine brigs, and a ship of about &ow Their cargoes consisted of sugar, cocoa, coffee, raw 1,1 , :ft, ft, b. baceo, and Port wine. Some of these vesseli were Laza. I their homeward passage, other's in their outward toyzesa t Captains of these privateers require no Court for comae* t as captors ; they arc sole judges: they send their cargoes moos solitary Island, most commonly to the live Islands, Wee" them into small vessels, for St. Bartheloraew's:' Sir FRANCIS BURDETT was followed yesterat from Westminster Ilan to the King's Bench, bit great number of persons, who continued chetrisi him the whole way. On entering the prises,* worthy Baronet turned round, and bowed t• rlr multitude. We are happy to learn that he ism I fortably accommodated, occupying the same which Lord CCCHRANE did. He was visited, ia n. course of yesterday, by a number of his friends, I seemed very cheerful. • This morning he took a • • for some time, on the terrace in front of the shil's house, and appeared in excellent s,)irio. Ilneonsea's Reroser.—Yesterday the lieronsetraka .P to his Maaasev of the following prisoners under seabed ' . in Newgate, viz.: John Murphy, alias Gale, fur returning front trarepsneim Thos. Elliot, Joseph Wootten, Win. Bullock, Miami /lab and Michael Harley, for highway robberies; Moms ' - James Ryall, and James Anderson, for burglary ;Jacek James Palmer, John Popkins, Joseph Perry, and Mary G. for stealing in dwelling-houses; and Abraham Heamiltest, sacrilege—When Monies Elliot, Jlsepla Ireauen, Fa • 4r Michael Harley, and Abraham Ilioniningavoy, were mind a s execution on Tuesday next. Diteeneua Arraay.—A private letter from Irelandamme nicates the following very serious affair : " Templemore Barracks, Feb. 4,111. •" Yesterday an affray took place, which put our omit 7 their mettle. An officer, with a serjeant, corporal, and It en ... went out to seize a still about four miles from Rosati. 1b I made their seizure good ; but, on their return, wereattsek when entering a gate in a narrow defile by about for rk & hundred ragged ruffians, who were waiting in ambuscade kw a l party. They rushed so suddenly upon our men diatiesod them were pinioned, and their arms were taken from dienii L trice ; but the serjeant, a gallant stout fellow, aides* rr . 4 through the lungs by a bayonet, and having a finger shotd,a lied with his seven remaining firelocks, and completely he di assailants a the field, leaving four killed and nineteen verb This was not achieved without several of our men beet: goal $ severely, but none I hope mortally, though these their general weapons, inflict wounds of a bad deadpans , . s Boxixo.—The match for .en guineas, between Abel Nies* Gillen (the Bath Tinman) was fought yesterday, is It i°ll Meadows, on the confines of Hens and Essex. Una was , conded by Granger, and Norris was picked up by S. bra ' lt Room 1. Each missed their hits and closed, when a meal match took place, and Norris was thrown a somerset. 2. Counter-hits were placed heavily on the beads, stlid! the claret flowing. A furi o u s r a lly vats fought, and at hitting had visible effects at the back of the ears, hoar' bitted started. In a close Norris was pinked until he marl!! but he threw his adversary a heavy cross-buttock- s a" lilts were exchanged, and both went dons. 4. After sparring for wild, they unmuzzled and a _ I earliest. Norris had the best of the round, although he 05 ' tooth.-5. Both were distressed, and Norris was 0310110. IL It was :our minutes before a blew was struck, sad monied to have had enough. A rally followed, and ceived another heavy fall, with his adversary upee him. at"' hurt in the neck, and the fall won Gillen the fight. Six other rounds wer e fou g h t; a nd t h e 7th, Bth, en d fa 0 1 most gallantly maintained by Norris; but his adverarykaf: at best, and at the end of the 12th Norris could not M low to the scratch, and his second said, a Enough." I s 6 COLE EXCHANGE, MARE - LAX; had Set He• We— fresh arrivals of any Grain this morning, bat a wsedea __ aa a quantity of Wheat and Barl e y, of inf e rior qua li ties, . over from Wednesday's supply, for which there was 1 5 0 2`,„ demand, although offered on lower terms ; but both the a ticks, of prime qualities, fully support Monday's r ice t a • e Oat trade continues very heavy, at a decline of Is. per Tra,' owing to large arrivals from Ireland . Other addes as :r e SMITHFIELD MAREET, Fie, 9.--Beef, 4s. Od. od " .to V. 4 atone of ; Mutton, es. Od. to ss. Od. Si.a m a p Pork, 4s.od. to 55.104 L Lamb, Os.Od. to ot.od.—Cattir at Beasts, 550; Calves, 90; Sheep and Lambs, 5,600; PO' 11 . 0 Hay, 31.45. to 41. Si. Clover, , bis lOs. to 51. 105. Straw, to 11.140. • . Ementarza—Though the consideration rf the Na'! gave rise to an interesting discussion, and occasicintd SC • visions, the Public in voting their own money for P the present Lottery, appear to have agreed mem. COL I! ring the several advant ages it h o ld s forth. The cbanre of a ,rike Ticket for 18$: or of a Sixteenth for 2s. with a ceetete s Y °l 2 : 4 — e it .62,000 Prizes in the first Five Minutes, on Wednesd a y 00 a , a i proposition not likely to call for a division (except a , be 0 0 tp the Capitals are drawing, anti then we hope they W.`".. . 4 1 0 # sided.) But so eager are all classes to purchase, tri E the Contractors have resolved themsrlmviatoe Onoiseta aIL it is expected that in the way of Tickets, their omearp bag the demands of the P u blic will 'be exhausted befit Wheel goes round. LONDON : Printed a n d publ is hed nsee,Tenipi by Lives e.Bar. KO" , " Ike . .