Star. — London, England, 1821-05-23 00:00:00

P.A RLIA MEN TARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY ec WzvatuusLt. was heard in part in support of the claim of the sun rif the late Earl of Strathmore to the Peerage.—Further ' argument postponed to Thursday next. The Irish Jail Fees Bill was read a third time and passed; _also the Irish Law Courts Bill. The Steam Engine Smoke Removal Bill was committed. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a Petition from Prince Edward's Island againat any alteration in the Timber 'Duties. The Marquis of LANSDOWN presented a Petition from several denominations of Protestant Dissenters in London and Westminster, prating for an alteration in the Criminal Cude: and another from the same parties,' praying for a mitigation in DIU RANCHISEMENT OF GRAMPOUND EILL. On the Report of this Bill being brought up by Lord SHAFTESBURY, The Earl of LAUDERDALE wished to know why it had been thought fit to transfer the right of .voting to the County of York ? The LORD C HANCELLOR said he.would wait to •see whether the County of York liked this Bill or not. Earl FITZWILLIAM made some few remarks, and sail that he was willing to receive the Report. The Earl of WESTMORELAND thought it would be only decent and respectful to the County of York to wait and see if they consented to this new provision. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said this Amendment would be a subject of discussion on the third reading. But he wished to know how the sense of the County of York was to he obtained ? If the Borough of Grampound was to be disfranchised, there must be some other place to which the franchise must be prof fered. All chat was done here was to cause two additional Members to be returned for the County of York ; and so far from that being likely to produce any inconvenience, he thought it would have a con •trary effect in that County. The Earl of DARNLEY thought it would be bet ter to divide the County so as to return two Mem bers for each part, or to adhere to the plan recom mended by the House of Commons. • Lord ELLENBOROUGH conceived that the House would have acted more wisely if one Member was given to Lancashire and the other to Yorkshire. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that one of the! grounds for moving this Amendment was that of there being no competition for any place of transfer. If Yorkshire was to be divided, that would produce great inconvenience, because it could not be done without burthening two Counties with separate County Courts. • The Earl of LAUDERDALE said this Bill would go to the destruction of Representation in the County of Cornwall.—The Amendments were then agreed to, the Report received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time. TIMBER DUTIES BILL. On the Order of the Day for the House to resolve itself into a Committee on this Bill, Earl BATHURST entered into an explanation of the circumstances which induced his Majesty's Mi nisters to bring forward this measure in its present shape. It would be recollected, that in the year. 1809 we were altogether excluded from any trade with the Baltic. At that time, in consequence of such exclusion, it was thought necessary to give en couragement to our own Colonies to furnish us with Timber, and for that purpose, additional Duties were laid on Timber imported from the Continent of Europe. Those Duties expired in 1820 ; before that time it became necessary to give notice, that 'new arrangements should be made. The effect of the notice was, that very large quantities of Timber were imported from the North of Europe and from North America. The notice had• been given about the end of the year 1817 ; and in the course of the year 1818, the quantity of Timber imported amounted to 333,000 loads; whereas the quantity imported during the preceding year, amounted to no more than 77,900 loads. In the year 1819, a still greater importation took place, not only from the Baltic, but from North America; and yet after all these importations there was no increase of de mand. The consequence was, that great embarrass ments took place in the trade, which embarrassments could not be considered as arising out of increase of Duties. here the Noble Earl entered into a variety of explanations and details, with a view of shewing the policy of encouraging the importation of Timber from the Colonies, as well as from the North of Eu rope. The most material part of this subject was that which related to the imperative Duties on Tim ber imported from the Colonies and the Baltic ; and it was on all hands admitted, that some protection ought to be given to the Colonies, on account of the exertions that had been made to import Timber from them during our exclusion from the European Con tinent. But it was not understood that this was to be a permanent arrangement; it might be proper to revive the question again at the expiration of three or four years. He could not agree to the doctrine, that persons were to be allowed to go and get their goods at the cheapest rate; for such a principle might be very hostile to our interests. The principle was not adopted with regard to linens or corn; for laws were made which gave a preference in these articles to those of our own country. Our whole Colonial system was at variance with that general principle, and it was fit that every possible degree of encouragement should be given tb our Colonies in regard to the Timber Trade. although that trade brought in only a comparatively small amount of income. This was the more necessary on account of many persons being now employed in carrying on that trade in the Colonies, who could not be em •ployed in any other way. Besides, their Lordships should consider the great advantage arising from this trade in the encouragement given to our own ship ping, which were wholly employed in the Colonial trade, whereas many foreign ships were employed in the Baltic trade. The Earl of LAUDERDALE said, he was ashamed to see so thin all attendance on the discus sion of a subject of such vast importance as this; and in so thin a House, he would not trespass long on their Lordships time. It had, he said, been a subject of universal complaint, that the people of this country had a bad article forced on them at a low price, in consequence of the discouragement held out to the trade from the Baltic. The effect of this discouragement was, that our exports to the Baltic had been diminishing every year, in propor tion to the encouragement that had been held out to -T.T.,.--- -- the importation from North America of a yell bad article, which could answer no useful purpose ; and ,thus the country suffered materially in its commerce 'with the North of Europe, limn whence the best . Timber could be obtained. As a proof of the bad quality of the North American Timber, he quoted the authority of Sir Robert Seppings, who 'stated, that ships built of American fir did not last half so long as those built of Norway fir ; and besides, they were generally seized with the dry rot. When their Loidships Committee was considering this subject, one witness declared, in answer to a question put by him (Lord Lauderdale) that he could not in his con science recommend to any man to purchase a house built of American Timber. He said he considered it as errant a Colonial job as ever came before Parlia ment, and one that would materially injure the trade and prosperity of the country. The Noble Lord now referred to the Report of the Committee, whose de cided opinicin was, that Timber ought to be had of the best quality, and at the cheapest price. He con tended, that if the restrictive law were carried into effect, it would discourage the recommendation of those liberal principles of commerce which were laid down in the Report of the Committee. He concluded with moving that this Bill be read a second time this day six months. Lord ELLENBOROUGH contended that this Bill would not serve the interests of the Proprietors of Canada. but of those who were engaged in the trade of carrying the Timber to this country, and who were, for the most part, not subjects of his Majesty, but of the United States. This was, in fact, a Bill for introducing the dry rot into every building of this country. _ If he should ever attend a Committee of this House again on the subject of trade, he confessed he should do so without the slightest hope of doing good, seeing that so little attention was given to the principles which the Committee on the subject of Timber had, alter so much inquiry, established, as he thought, successfully ; yet there was some little good in the Bill, and he would therefore vote for it. Lord KING concurred with the Noble Lord in regretting that the principles recommended by the Committee were treated with so much indifference. The y Earl of LIVERPOOL contended that the Bill placed the trade on a more advantageous footing than it was before. It reduced the Duty on Baltic Timber: whether they ought to go further was ano ther question, which might deserve consideration at another time. With respect to the transports em ployed in this trade, to whomsoever they belonged, they were manned with British seamen. It was the practice of this country to give protection to its Co lonial industry. This was, at least, an intelligible principle. But the principle which he could not un derstand was, that of giving protection to the in dustry of a foreign country—( Hear, hear).—He would not say that this Bill was not partly founded on erroneous principles, but it certainly placed the trade on better grounds than it was on berme. Upon the principle of the common proverb, that half a loaf was better than no bread, he could not see why their Lordships should not pass this Bill. The Marquis of LANSDOWN regretted to hear the Noble Earl say that a Bill ought to be passed which he confessed was founded on erroneous prin ciples. If Parliament were to legislate in this man ner, be despaired of seeing any free principles of commerce ever adopted in this country. He felt a deep despondency at the failure of the principles laid down by the Committee on this subject. If, however, Parliament should hereafter revise this law, he hoped that at least it should be now understood that no pro mise—no engagement was given to capitalists, that this was to be a permanent system. Earl BATHURST said that he had already stated, and it was also stated elsewhere, that Government had given no pledge of that kind, but that, on the contrary, it was clearly understood that it was per fectly competent to the Legislature to revise this Bill whenever it was thought necessary. The question was then put, the Amendment was negatived, the Bill was committed, and ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. Lord LAUDERDALE said, that this Bill doubled the duty on cedar. Persons had gone out for timber of that description before this Bill was introduced into the Legislature, and they were expected to re turn in three weeks. He thought it would be hard that, under such circumstances, they should be com pelled to pay the double duty. The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that such cases certainly deserved consideration.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. This day a Ballot was appointed for inquiring into the merits of a Petition, complaining of an undue Election and Return for the Borough of Petersfield ; but no House was made, as there were not. more than eighty-five Members present at four o'clock. An official return to an order of the House of Commons states the amount (in British currency) of the produce of the Revenues of Ireland for the quar ter ending the sth April, 1820, paid into the Exche quer, at £871,601 ; ditto, for the quarter ending sth April, 1821, £973,355 ; from which deducting £18,629, the decrease on stamps, there will remain lan increase in the quarter ending sth April, 1821, lamounting to £101,754. BOMBAY, Dec. 2.—A distressing accident occurred on Sunday evening last by the upsetting of a cutter belonging to the Sii Stephen Lushington. A party had been spending the day at Elephanta, and were returning in the even►ng in the cutter, thirteen per sons in all, when the boat was upset by a man going up to the mast-head to clear the topping lift, and the party were all plunged into the water. Mr. KING, the High Constable of Bombay, and Mr. LEE (son of Mr. Let, of king-street, Covent• Garden), late Se cond Officer of the Regret, were unfortunately drowned. The former was seen a few minutes after the upsetting of the boat, trying to float himself on an awning staunchion, but finding himself unable to preserve his life, he was heard to cry out, " for Gov's sake take care of •my wife and children," and then went down. Mr. LEE sunk exhausted about a boat's length from the upset cutter. The remainder of the party and crew got on her bottom, and after eleven hours' hard and anxious struggle reached the Island 'of Elephanta, and were received by the Serjeant with all the attention and kind treatment he had the means of affording them. Mr. KING has left a widow and four children to deplore the loss of a kind and in dulgent husband and father. _ TIIE EVENING STAR• LONDON. WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1521. THE ruN DS. A considerable re-action has taken place in the Funds since Monday. On that day Consols were done at 75% for Money, and 76 for July; yester day they fell to 74 1 / 2 fqi Money, but finally left off, at 75. This morning they began at 74 h for Money, for next time 75%; they then fell to 74 5 /s, and for the Account to 75%, being a fluctuation of three quarters per Cent. These fluctuations are attributed to the settlement of differences to-morrow, being Ac count day. The scarcity of Money Stock continues, and the monied men are still in favour of a farther rise.—Current Prices at One otlock : Bank Stock 228 227 1 / 2 228 3 per Cent. Reduced 74 1 /s 73 7 / 8 74% 3 per Cent Cons. 74% 74--3 1 / 1 per Cent. 83% % 4 per Cent. 92% 1 ,6 5 / 8 -5 per Ct. Navy 109% Vs Long Anns. 187 8 15-16—India Stock 22-5 Y 4 India Bonds 455. 465. pre.—Old Annuities 73% Exchequer Bills 2s. 4s. Ss. pre. Cons. for Acct. 74Y 8 s/a 75. The Paris Papers of Sunday arrived this forenoon. They announce the deaths of two individuals a considerable note, M. CAMILLE JOURDAN, of the Chamber of Deputies, and Marshal the Duke de ColGNY.—There are no farther accounts from Spain, nor any other articles of foreign intelligence except the following: PARIS, MAY 19. The most recent letters from Italy announce, that a frigate and a corvette had set sail from Genoa for Villa-Franca, near Nice, where they are to take on board the King, Victor Emmanuel, who will repair to Viareggio, and thence to Lucca, to see his august daughter, and also to confer with the new King, Chatles Felix. His Majesty will be escorted in his voyage by two frigates, one English and the other French, both of which are already arrived off Villa•Franca. VIENNA, MAY 9. Within these few days there has been arrested at the barrier of Tabor, on the Bohemian road, a fo reign traveller, who calls himself Colonel in the ser vice of Russia, and bearer of very important dis patches for Laybach. His passports were false. The pretended dispatches were also seized. There is great impatience to know the ulterior details of this event. Many families of the most distinguished Boyars of Bucharest and of Jassy are arrived at Vienna; they display in our city great opulence. . There are also at this moment in this capital, a certain number of Greek Agents, to take care, no doubt, of the interests of their nation. They observe great caution in this respect, and the Authorities have received particular instructions, which render them very zealous in their observation of them. We are still in hopes of seeing our Sovereign be- 1 fore the end of this month. Everything announces that the Emperor Alexander will make a short stay here. His Majesty will take the route of Croatia and Hungary, on his return to his own dominions. We are assured that the two Sovereigns have interchanged amicable assurances of seeing one another again be fore a year is over. Prince d'Esterhazy has received a mission to repair to London, to'assist at the Coronation of the King oft England. His Excellency will be accompanied by' Counts Esterhazy, . Metternich, and de Gatterbourg. French Five per Cents.—Saturday, 84fr. 95c. At a late hour this forenoon we have received, by express, extracts from the Paris Papers of Monday, being a day later than the preceding. We hasten to extract from them a number of interesting particu lars with respect both to Spain and the Greek Insur rection. The Spanish accounts appear to us to bear evident marks of strong exaggeration: MADRID, MAY 10. One of our Papers of to-day (The Constitutional) pretends that liberty was offered to all the persons lately arrested at Cadiz as suspected, except a Monk, who is to be tried, but that none of them would leave their prison. Did they fear some new excess of po pular rage ?—This is not yet known. It is much to be feared that the assassination of Vanuesa is but the prelude to other acts of ferocity, which will stain our Revolution with blood. There are two other facts which 1 can certify, and which • I must inspire equal horror. In the last bull fight, a trumpeter, well known for his liberalism, was placed near a person violent in favour of the contrary party, a dispute arose between them, caused by their divergence of opinion; and the latter, taking a knife from his pocket, stabbed the trumpeter twice, who fell dead on the spot. The second fact is this: in the environs of Aranda de Duero, some Monks assembled in a little wood, where they concerted measures to form a band of partisans. —The Magistrates being informed of it, and the National Guard of Aranda, sent out to seize them, in fact arrested them; but, instead of taking them to the town as prisoners, they tied them to trees, set fire to the wood, and burnt them alive. It is mentioned as certain that our treaty of offen sive and defensive alliance with Portugal is con cluded: this is probable, as the outlines were ar ranged by the secret Agent of Portugal. wh o was here some time ago. M:rinn, who was supposed to have HA to r raeee after his defeat, appears, it is said, more formiclAtale than ever. To consider the great quantity men, horses, and money, which he is supposed to h ave, one would say he procures them by enchantment k k said he has many French soldiers, who hire re. mained in Spain since the war, and he still occupie s his old positions between Mitanda, d'Ebro, Burgo s , and Briviesca. The Government, it seems, has given noti ce t h at i t will punish, with the utmost rigour, the Al cades who, under the pretence of compulsion o r any other reason, shall furnish him with rations or a ss i stance for his band, even though *he should pay for th em i n ready money, as he is in the habit of doing. As fo r the other bands which had shewn themselves is other places, they seem to be dispersed, at least we hear no more of them. IttUN, MAY is. The Canon Sulazar, one of Merino's Lieutenant s , and four other persons, who had been arrested and confined in the prisons of Burgos, escaped, but win e taken at Eschar, just as they were going to p a ,, s h e frontier into France, and have been conducted hith er , At Tarragona, as in many other towns, there h as been a popular tumult, directed against persons mical to the present system ; but the people sere nci satisfied with demanding their exile, for several fa. sons were pillaged, and three unfortunate ecclesiastics assassinated. It is to be hoped that the news of the suspensins of the march oldie Russian Army to Italy, will teal a little to calm people's minds in Spain, and that n least it will be less easy to excite the rage of the po. place against persons pointed out to thins as Ser. viler. The most ridiculous reports have been is cir culation of the appearance, in the Xledilerianean, of a squadron bearing an unknown flag. • Favourable accounts have just been received fine America. The Universal announces, that two de. puties from Bolivar are expected, who must soca arrive, as the dispatch announcing their mission et out but a few days before them. The following par ticulars, which there is reason to believe eel founded, are added : Bolivar has significd, in a confidential dispatch, the basis of the proposed Treaty ; according to which, Ist, The Province of Caraccas shall be entirely sub. ject to the mother-country, and make part of the Spanish territory. 2dly, Bolivar shall be nominated Captain-General of that Province, as the only maa able to restrain the various parties which divide the country. idly, He shall, in consequence, make his submission, take the oath to the Spanish Constim• tion, and have the rank of Lieutenant-General.— 4thly, The territory of the Republic of Colombia shall be declared independent; its indepeocienceshall be recognized by Spain, and the two Powers shall send to each diplomatic agents. sthly, This Repo lic shall, however, be attached to Spain by Treaties of Commerce, so that the latter Power shall lose moe of the advantages which it has hitherto derived from these Provinces. VIENNA, MAY 11. The affairs of Turkey are drawing to a dose. Tbe Ottoman Army has taken the field sooner than vs expected. Its vanguard advanced on tbe 19th Apnl from Fockan to Brailow. The Greeks immediately fel back. The next day the Seraskier himself made s general reconnoissance, at the head of a corps of 800/ men, and the Greeks immediately fell back sale leagues. Ypsilanti and Theodore bear such a violet hatred to each other, that it would not be surprisig if they soon came to blows : one of them has 9011 or 4000 men, the other ten or 12,000. All these troop~ ale half naked, and unarmed ; they subsist only by pillagb, which they exercise with a degree of ferocity that makes no difference between friends and enemies. MAY 12. We receive the following details from Hungary: On the 19th ultimo, the Turks pushed a rear noissance towards Galacz. The vanguard of the Greeks fell back on the main body. The Turks, seb; were 4,000 strong, not only did not advance, but te. tired into their fortress of Brailow. On the 21st, the whole Ottoman army, commanded by a niche whe is lately arrived from Constantinople, again a 4 vanced on the road to Galacz. The Greeks retreated partly into that fortress, where they have a numerate garrison, and partly on board their fleet, which I stationed near that place. The Turks have cot' tented themselves with occupying the country three or four leagues round Brailow. As for Ypsilanti, after quitting Bucharest, ee th. 16th of April, where he left a garrison, it seens he marched to the Danube, persisting in his Pi ed -of making an irruption into Bulgaria, where beet" pects to find numerous partizans. A report has been in circulation for sow daPs that our Army of Observation, in the 13annat of Temeswar, will shortly be pet iS be motion. It is said it will in concert with th e Ottoman Porte. which is assemble! His MAJESTY (as stated in the STAR of yestetdaY ) is at present troubled with a slight attack of them PA in consequence of which the Ball, intend ed given to the younger branches of the Nob& Carlton Palace, is postponed till the 29th it.st. The Duchess of GLOUCESTER, with the Process AUGUSTA, dined with the Duke and Duthets of CLAP MINCE on Monday. _ .