Star. — London, England, 1821-02-07 00:00:00

low c•-• •, • r! t.. appeared. In some of the manufactures, particularly that of Cotton and Wool, there have been also im provements ; and, though the manufacturers wereinot in the enjoyment of anything like their former pro sperity, still they were able to provide enough for their ordinary wants: Some improvement, be would add, was also made in the manufacture of Muslins.— In stating these facts, the satisfaction which he felt, arose, not only from the prosperity of the manufac turer, but also from the consequent good effect which it must have on the condition of the Agriculturalist. So connected were the two branches together, that whenever there was an improvement in the one, it would necessarily be followed by improvement in the other. But it was not altogether on account of the distresses of the country, great and imperative as they were, that he recommended the appointment of a Committee. It was partly in consequence of the altered situation in which this country was placed by the effects of peace, as welt as on account of the al tered situation of other countries, in which the spirit of Commerce had been actively prevailing. Such was the extent of competition throughout Europe, that this country had now no other hope of main taining her commercial predominance than by com mercial means, and a fair spirit of rivalship. It was unnecessary for him to remind the House that this. country was possessed of very many advantages over her neighbours—such as her enterprize, her capital, her experience, and skill. But it was not to be for. gotteh, that those advantages were to be exercised* under the pressure of burdens which did not exist in any other country. It was incumbent, therelore,'on the Legislature, under these circumstances, to apply all its energy for the purpose of making these advan tages as available as possible ; and that desirable consequence he believed could only be expected frodi a complete revision of our Commercial Laws ; re moving all those embarrassments which it was prac ticable to remove, and taking away every obstacle, as far as they could, to the fair exertions of our ma nufacturers. In considering, however, this part of the subject, it would be necessary to recollect that we could not expect from other countries, that they would give any support to our industry, without our giving some support to their's. The principle, therefore, must be mutual—( Hear, hear, hear). — It was necessary, also, that we should get rid of that feeling, of which we were so tenacious, that it was in our power to produce everything that was requi site for our own consumption; a principle than which nothing could be more hostile to the prosperity of a country, in a commercial view, and to which might be traced not only the fall of the commercial great ness of several countries, but many of those divisions and jealousies that had distracted and disturbed many of the nations of Europe. However, he felt that this principle of free trade, however commendable in the abstract, could not be acted upon in this coun try, except under very considerable limitations, for the protection to particular branches of manufacture, which - had grown up under the existing system, must still be renewed. Yet it would be the duty of Par liament to provide that these protections should not be perverted into a means of monopoly to an extent oppressive to the people at large—(!fear).—The Committee having last year recommended, among other things, some amendment in the Navigation Laws, he should take care to bring in a Bill to carry into effect their recommendation. He would also attend to other suggestions appearing in their Report, and particularly to that for the concentration and. consolidation of the commercial laws—(Hear). — It ought to be an important part of our policy to attend to the claims of our colonies, and to the ship ping interest of this country. He owned that he was sanguine in his expectations of great commer cial advantages from the labours of the Committee. One of the greatest objects of its attention would be to put the tr ade of this country in such a situation as that, whatever might be the changes of other States, we would be able to reap the full benefit of them. Without opening every means within our reach for facilitating the improvement of our own industry, it was useless to expect that the trade of the counts) , could be maintained. But as far as he could see, it was not only practicable to maintain our trade, but also to extend it, and thus to add to our strength and resources—to raise us to our proper rank amongst the nations, and to secure to us the possession of that general influence which we deserved. He concluded by moving that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the best means of maintaining and im proving the Foreign Trade of this country. Mr. CUItWEN expressed his satisfaction that his Majesty's Ministers were at length awakened to the distresses of the country, and espeCially to those of the Agricultural branch, whose interest was insepa rably connected with that of the Manufacturer. Mr. BARING felt that he could not be justified, after the able speech of his Right Hon. Friend, in taking up the time of the House at any length. If he was to inquire how it happened, that in the sixth year of peace the Agricultural, the Commercial, and Manufacturing bodies of the country, were all com plaining of the distresses which they respectively suffered—if he were to enter into this question, it must necessarily lead to a discussion that the time of the House could not allow. He felt great satisfac tion at the announcement of his Right Hon. Friend, not only because the what influence and sanction of Government would be given to this inquiry, but also because it would have the assistance of the great talents and experience of the Right lion. Gentleman • himself. He flattered . himself that great benefit must result from the labour of the Committee; and although he was not one who thought that our trade could be brought back to its former state of prospe rity—yet he was of opinion that much improvement was practicable ; and that surrounded as we were by commercial countries, it was still in our power to bring back to a considerable extent our foreign trade; and not like. the Netherlands or Italy, be forced to live rather upon the fruits of former prosperity. He thought that the magnitude of the object in view ought, to be sufficient to unite persons of all political sentiments in its furtherance. At least it was worth a trial to see what would be the effect of an altera- tiou in our commercial laws; and by that amended system, let the country stand or fall—( ilear,hear). Sir J. NEWPORT expressed a hope that the sub ject : of the foreign Timber Trade would be com pletely disposed of by the Committee, before they occupied themselves with any other of the s u bj ects that would regularly come before them.—The motion being carried, the Members of the Committee were then appointed. SLAVE TRADE. Mr. W. SMITH said, that as he anticipated nb opposition to his motion, he should forbear troubling the House at any length. It would be in their recol lection, that it was now fourteen years since this country had, by an Act of the Legislature, got rid of the shame and crime that attached to the Slave Trade. This step was followed by an attempt to procure the acquiescence of the other Powers of Europe, and it was obtained through the interference of the Noble Lord opposite, at the peace of 1815. The Emperor of Rus s ia had taken a conspicuous part in the promo tion of this benevolent design, and the friends of the abolition of the Slave Trade had every reason to be grateful to a Noble Duke, whose splendid services in the profession which he so much adorned would ever be alive in the hearts of the People of England, for his zeal and activity towards the same humane end. However, it was a problem yet to be solved, how, every Power in Europe having declared that " the Slave Trade was contrary to all the principles of ha. manity and universal morality, and that the triumph over it was one of the greatest monuments of the pre sent age"—how, after this, it should come to pass, that the friend* of the abolition of that Trade in Eng land should have to complain of the want of co-ope ration of these very Powers. It was once looked upon as oneof the chief objections to the abolition of this Trade, that it would be useless for England to at tempt it without the concurrence of the other Euro pean Powers, and that that concurrence it would be impossible to obtain. But England did get them to join in professions indeed, but not in any effective co operation. Denmark had indeed co-operated; Ame rica had joined heart and hand with us, even re cently that country had prohibited any inhabitant of the Missouri territory from remaining in the Union, as long as the Slave Trade was permitted to be car ried on in that country. But, unhappily, it did ap pear that the Trade of France, Spain, and Portugal was carried on on the coast of Africa, called the Gold Coast and the Ivory Coast, to a degree that would make the heart shudder—in fact, to an extent equal to, if not beyond, what it was before, and in a man ner more disgraceful to those respective countries than the share which England once had in it was dis graceful to her. He thought it justice to say, that in France there were many enlightened persons who were hostile to the continuance of the abominable traffic • and he believed the co-operation of the pre sent Representative of that kingdom in this country, for the purpose of abolishing it effectually, might be fully relied on. It was right to state, ttiat there were many difficulties opposing the complete execution of all the benevolent wishes by which the English Go vernment was guided in this branch of its policy, and among these was the difficulty of procuring the as sent of France to a Treaty conferring a right of mutual search. The Papers which he would now move for, he had no doubt, would develope a scene that would shew the necessity of the utmost activity, and would stimulate the other Powers of Europe to carry into effect their promises of co-operation. He then moved for a variety of Papers, containing the Correspondence between the Officers of the British Government employed to carry into effect the Laws for the suppression of the Slave Trade, and those of the Governments of France, Spain, and Portugal, on the subject of the Treaties for the abolition of the Slave Trade, by this Government, with those Powers respectively, and on the manner in which those Trea ties had been carried into effect. Mr. WILBERFORCE rose to second the motion. As it was his intention to address the House on an other subject that evening —(Hear, hear)--he would now content himself with observing that he fully con curred in every sentiment expressed by his Honour able Friend as to the necessity of using the utmost ac tivity to carry into effect the benevolent schemes we had set on foot, without which all our labours and expense would be but thrown away. Lord CASTLEREAGH assured the House, that nothing was left undone by Government towards the accomplishment of an object which had been so long the subject' of the most anxious attention of Parlia ment. It was satisfactory to state, that every means were employed by them for that purpose. At the same time, he would wish to impress upon them that all the weight and encouragement that Government could give, would still be comparatively inefficient without t he constant vigilance of Parliament— (Hear, hear). It had been truly observed, that there were many difficulties in the way of carrying into ef fect their great design; but it would be the care of Government to put the House in possession of these difficulties from time to time, as well as to lend their best assistance to find out and apply a remedy. It was not his intention to follow the Honourable Mere her in the course of his observations, as a better op portunity would be open to them, when the House was in possession of the documents just moved for. The Papers were ordered. EXTENTS IN AID. On the motion of Mr. W. SMITH, an Account was ordered of all Extents in Aid issued daring the year ending Dec. 1820; and copies of the Affidavits upon which the same were issued. COMMITTEE OP SUPPLY. On the motion of theCH A N CELLORof theEXCHEQUER, the Order of the Day for receiving the Report of the Committee of Supply, was read. Mr. CREEVEY said, he did not rise to oppose the bringing up of the Report, but to state that his opinion remained rural tared as to the impropriety of calling on the House to vote for so large a sum as had been just voted away without the Esti mates. As he had given a notice upon the subject, he would not take up the time of the House any longer. Mr. HUME asked if the House was to expect, agreeably to what was held out in the sixth Report of the Committee on the Navy Estimates, an Account of the diminution (if any) which had taken place from year to year in the Navy expenses? Sir B. MARTIN said, that the Estimates would be before the House, and that whatever alteration was nude, might be ascertained by a comparison. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that the Estimates of the present year would chew some reduction in the expenditure of that department. Mr. HUME asked if it was true that any orders kad been issued for the reduction of the wages of the working classes in the Duck-yauls, and if the pay of the inferior Mere had also been reduced? - , Sir Ii MARTIN said, that It was true orders had been issued for reducing the time of working, but no more. The men were now to work by task ; so that, limiting the time of employment was, In effect, productive of a saving to the Public. Mr. II UNlli could not concur with the Honourable Gentle man, that this arrangement was by any means so economical as be seemed to suppose. . . _ The Report was then brought up, and the Resolutions were . . agreed to. Mr. HUME, adverting to a sum iu one of the Resolutions, asked from what source it was expected to •bsi derived? It centempbted the ezhter ee of arrears of Tares. Now. it was desirable to know, specifically, what Tales were is wear. and what was the amount of that attar. in order that the Howe might see how far the Accounts of the year were balanced. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER observed, that the information sought for by the Honourable Gentlemen would be found fully detailed in the body of the Estimates, but that, if he wished for a separate account, he would have no difficulty in making it out. WAYS AND MEANS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER gave notice that he would, to-morrow, move that the House do resolve it self into a Committee of Ways and Means. THE QUEEN.-ADJOURNED DEBATE. Sir ROBERT WILSON rose and expressed a hope that the House would do him the justice to believe, that nothing but a persuasion that he was in the pos session of information which might be useful to the House, and that it was incumbent on him, as hold ing a popular seat in that House, to take part in the question—nothing, be could assure the House, but considerations such as these would induce him to rise and offer himself to their attention. If he remem bered distinctly, the observations which fell from the Hon. Member who spoke last on the debate yesterday evening, he only attempted to extenuate the errors of Government, not to justify their measures. The Hon. Member for Corfe Castle (Mr. Bankes) had condemned his Majesty's Ministers for theii pro.ceed ings—(No,no).—He appealed to the recollection of ' the House, if that Hon. Member had not said that he was dissatisfied with the beginning, the middle, and the end of the proceeding—(Hear)—and that be had determined to vote in favour of the accused.— The Right Hon. Member for Oxford, who always was heard with pleasure, admitted that Minister=' committed three errors —not, indeed, of intrinsic de merit in themselves, but calculated in their effects to make a considerable impression on the public mind. He attempted to palliate their conduct by saying, that under the circumstances they were placed in, they could not have acted better. Ministers, per haps, might be able to explain their motives; but, to him, it appeared that they had committed great errors. And here he would beg leave to observe, that the errors of incapacity ought to be visited with penalties as if they were great offences—the public good required it. This rule had frequently been adopted in the case of General Officers and Admirals. —lt was a fact, which was now upon the record of history, that an unfortunate Naval Commander had, for an error in judgment, not only been deprived of his rank, but his life. With respect to a Bill of Pains and Penalties, it ought not to be tolerated in any in stance, unless it was warranted by extreme necessity. It was very true that there were precedents for Bills of that description ; but it ought to be observed that precedents and practice were very frequently opposed to the ends of justice. There was only one cause which could justify the introduction of a Bill of Pains and Penalties; and:that was a violation of the compact between the Crown and the People—(Hear, hear).— He would contend, that a Bill of Pains and Penalties had actually been brought in at the Revolution. He would still designate the proceedings against the Queen as a conspiracy, though at the same time he would not say that his Majesty's Ministers had been parties to it. There was, however, one circumstance which must create suspicion in any mind, with re spect to the motives in which those proceedings had. originated. The time chosen for the Milan Commis sion was of a most suspicious character—it was im mediately after the death of the ,Princess Charlotte. He would not say that Ministers had intentionally. chosen that time, but he thought appearance& were decidedly against them. It was very singular that the Commission had been taken, not on the reports of respectable travellers, but on the foul and impure works of a Hanoverian Commission, composed of the Omptedas, the Maurice Credis, and such like wretches. He would not hold the Ministers respon sible for all the acts of the Milan Commission, but he would charge them with having employed discarded servants, and the most worthless of the human race, instead of resorting to the testimony of persons of ho nour and character. The late proceedings were, in fact, in utter violation of all law and justice. He saw that no inquiries had been made of persons of respect ability,whose evidence would have had weight with the House and the Country. It was well known that the Queen, while on the Continent, was visited by per sons of high rank and station in life; and there were persons from this country travelling abroad at the time, whose testimony would be unexceptionable.— The persons to whom he alluded were perfectly in dependent, and could have no interest in withhold ing the truth. Yet these had never once been inter rogated by. his Majesty's Ministers. The Hon and gallant General, after some further observations, proceeded to read extracts of letter s from pe rsons o f consideration in Italy, all bearing testimony to the correct, affable, and decoraus demeanour of the Queen, and deprecating the proceedings against her. The first was an extra c t o f a l etter wiitten by the Bishop of Pesaro, who certified, among other things, that if any slander had been circulated against her Majesty, in the neighbourhood of Pesaro, he must have known it, for it could not be concealed ; yet he had never heard of the slightest circumstance to her disadvantage. The next were extracts of letters writ ten by Cardinal Alvani, the Governor Antaldo, Count Volti, and the Medical Professor Thomasini, who had been for some time in this country. The latter stated, that, from his particular habits of intimacy with the Queen, as her medical attendant, while she resided at Pesaro, it was quite impossible that any impro priety in her conduct could have escaped his notice. The extract from his letter concluded with stating, that her Majesty had been visited by persons of the highest rank in his country. The Hon. and gallant General, having read the extracts from the letters, and commented upon them occasionally, went on to read an extract from the official book of the Cassino, or Society of Nobles, at Milan, in order to shew that die charge of the Queen having been black-balled by that Society, was a foul calumny. Was there any woman living who had drank deeper of theaup of affliction than the Queen ? Yet, was there ever a woman of a kinder disposition? Were not the very wretches who came to depose against her, obliged to confess that she was a person of the most magnani mous benevolence? Did she not, like the good Bi shop of Marailles, go to administer relief to unhappy petsons afflicted with the plague ? 'Did she not go.- -- .6 To draw breath; " Where nature sielten'd at the eyes of death..!" Her bitterest enemies were obliged to acknowledge this. Had she not declined using that formidable weapon—recrimination, which site tniA t h ate with so much elrect?(Efeer, hear), Al e ble and t Member then ar gue d at wipe against re ll t7inions of those who wore ad e j ,Cll Queen was unwor th y to enjoy the Th iel*. -4 0 was unworthy to enjoy the rights and di d Queen Consort, why. with that imp:e st a t e:li minds, had Ministers otiored to g i ve b et a would enable her to become still mote epo s .... " I in the indulgence of that criminal fussily sv i v r e r v : imputed to her?—(Hear, hear). The Ho & 1 1 2, for Corfe Castle had expressed his surp r i se : 1 Z wise and enlightened People of England a occupied with discussions of so futile a m oue ,' the People of England were wise and edL' could not be denied, but then they s eve ° oo 7 l , debted to that Honourable Member for it, as h e lien all in his power to keep them in d ar i nes 4 ing that ignorance was the best security n ss State—( Hear. hear). The Hon. and gallant concluded some additional observatio ns , b y the House, th at , if at any time the sentime nts - I "; he professed should not be co nsi d ere d in uni son it those of the country, he would be ready to t ag . the seat he had the honour to h.ld. Mr. HUSKISSON stated, that he felt him se lf,. ' pelled, after what he feared w as a l ong Poliae,-- tary life, to offer himself to the n o ti ce o f the Rm:- Upon ordinary occasions, he felt disposed rather; defer to the opinions of others, than to offer his hut, on the present important occasion, b e vas .• duced to claim their indulgence, however tent he felt himself to support that claim, a do : would touch upon ' the direct question bef ore 4 House, he would *very shortly address N ah a to remark which had fallen from the Honourabl e Learned Member for Knaresborough (SirJ. K • cosh}, That Honourable and Learned G er had put an erroneous construction upon an tion from his llonourable Friend (Mr. li tli k e , ); in that erroneous construction he had been by the gallant General who had just sat•dcar k (Mr. Huskisson) had never understood his II able Friend to condemn the measures of his 31+4 Ministers. He had said me-ely, that he a t .satisfied with those measures—(Cheers Pon ti t o, position Benda:). Ha understo o d those elee't but what followed that observation of his H„ able Friend? Why, " that if the tiro which had given rise to those measures wer e occur again, he did uot know but that his M *.,• Ministers ought to !Ake the >erne murals —(Loud cheers from :,;!e Ministerial Benches) . 1 language of the Honourable Member for Castle was perfectly j u fiable as to the consists the war and the mode of its term : nation. The me , of the peace was clear, limn this.circurnstanm the in six years therehad not been: the slightest detm stration of hostility. :The Billi alluded to by the Ilet ber for Ketaresborotigh- had not been inefficient, it had restored . tranquillity to the disturbed dinrim At the time of the. Bills passing,, it bad. been nil I! the Holnuriblellentfeungippßofils.,,that the* of petition *Mild' be 'Wholly precluded, and now, . told the Honk that Petitions had never beeu.so rnerotis as sheet the passing of t)iilftils.. That dne of the many ificoasisteneierdiat marked' the duct of those Honourable Gentlinferi: They p the strongest wish to allay the irritation in the . • mind; but the means adopted by them for that pa Hpose seemed- ter him 'of. rattifea singular dray is Honourable: Friends Made no charges • the Queenttbut- being called On to state why had not conferred a mark Of 'favour upon her, were bound to state the - reasons to *the • As to the evidence before the Lords; it mild warrant the infliction of any puniilimentilla looked to it as information of a very racter. By the termination of the'prOceecriiis House of Lords, the Queen had been virtually quitted, and was entitled to all the privilege Queen Consort ; and that had been recognised it Speech from the Throne. The chief legal shier the Queen, had stated the question of the • be one as light as air, though he had diem* • that he had delivered that opinion as a Meek Parliament, and not as the legal adviser of t h e lie thought the demand for explanation, made the Member for Co r fe-C as tle, was perked) gir t whether the Hon. Gentleman had, before the arrival in this country, attached so much image to the question of the Liturgy ? Was the Nobielis with whom the Learned Gentleman travelled, wo that any such insuperable difficulty existed? k now the Learned Gentleman had brought due: Message from the Queen, that no money would accepted till the name of her Majesty , aka restored to the Liturgy. He would simply the fact, that an inquiry bad formerly takes' , in 1806, which had drawn upon the Rae% Princess of Wales, an admonition and repeall his late Majesty ; and, in 1813, the Privy had been of opinion that her intercourse eiti Princess Charlotte should be restrained-4 In 1814, the Queen went abroad and entered I course of life, that, if innocent, was certainly ck g , i laced to excite suspicion. The ra pid elevation rill individual in question, and the intimacy to ull: 091 was admitted, were certainly unusual c ircular/2;A But it was not till four yea rs aft erw ards, when lll k English attendants had left her, that it was th 02.1 necessary to institute proceedings. What have been thought of such conduct in private the high rank of the parties called for intrirl. Whatever tended to injure the Sovereign, tende d the same time to injure the Crown and the Cone On the death of the late Ki ng , the question . „ " Liturgy forced itself upon the notice of Min i4lT ! who were at the same time anxious for an 10 °7 arrangement, and had grounds to think that the" of it would not have been unacceptable to the Qum' But if the negotiations could not be brought te * amicable adjustment, it was obvious that these° of the Queen could not be inserted in the ',it'll:: The real practical question brought forward h/` - Noble Lord was, the removal of 31inisters; the Gentlemen opposite it w0u 1 . 4 1 be a battle CI lerloo, by which all the objects of the Parl iatner l warfare would be at once attained. Even 41 the motion fail, the table of the House w ould.. lo , said, be covered with Petitions in favour of Pal meutary Reform, in favour of the glorious systr o Annual Parliumenti, universal Suffrage , and System of Ballot. so opposite to that of t: e Corner Men, •shouz.,ll amidst- the jiff:mot plo d Reform it mi g h t b.; Jiilicult to . lo:na a *:CC*.IIII .11 . : I I r I 5 t I I 1