The National Register. — London, England, 1815-02-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. MEMORANDUMS FOR THE ENSUING W EEK. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1315. Quingoap..ima Sunday. Cuuttcn SERVICE Epistle, 1 Corinthian* NW. 1.• Gospel, St. Luke avi►i. 6. MoNnay.—Day increased 1 li. 37 in. . 7. TUESDAY.—Shrove Tuesday.—Huliday at the Exchequer Office. 8. NV elm EsDAY.—Ash Weduesday.—Holiday at the Exchequer, Bank, and south Sea House. 9. THURSDAY.--Sun rir•cs at 14 m. after 7, sets at 46. w. after 4., New Muon at 10 in the morning. 10. rawAv.—Death of Lurd Darnley, husband to Mary Queen of Scott, 5b7. SATURNAL—Sun rises at lOni. after . 7, sets at 50 in. after 4. MGR WATER AT LONDON•BRIDGE. Morning. Afternoon. Sunday, Feb. 5.• •• • 1 i h. Bm. Monday • oh. om. Tuesday Wednesday Thurbday Friday Saturday PRICE OF S7OCKS YESTERDAY. 8 Per Cent. Cons. 4 per Cent. ' 8,1 Ex. Bills. 3 6 pm. 5 Per Cents. Consols for Febtuary 65} THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SUND4Y, FEBRUARY 5, 1915. THE MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. In the absence of importaut infotmatio'n from abroad, it will not be uninteresting-to call the attention of our readers to the important subjects that will command the attention of their Representatives in Parliament. In the first place, the alteration projected in the corn. laws will be debated, and, we trust, sincerely tritst, that the advocates for b, change will either be induced to • abandon their ground, or be compelled to it by the Re presentatives of the people. For those gentlemen who are so much interested in the continuance of the high price of • bread, are perfectly aware how Much they would actually sacrifice to their apparently individual interest. We say. apparently, because the interest of the landholder is that of the community, and he would eventually suffer with the community. But these gentlemen aver, that such is the pie Sent plessure of taxation, that corn cannot be raised 'under 80s . . per quarter ;• or, in other words, that the Atvirterp loaf must be I:ept Up tot Id. or 12d. the - knowledge of the principles of politica! eco noin)qtas been so generally disseminated, all men have agreed, that legislative interference is not only injudicious, IPA injurious to tl,• object in - view. This was amply it. - Ity,"trated - tatile:hitter yars of the late Chief Justice of the King's Bench. Then the landholder had not to com plain bf the low pr ice dr land;- or the farmer of the de pi-essed state of the cern .market. 9n the other hand, wheat was sold as high as 160s."per ' , quarter, and one or two millions sterling paid out of the iitiona,l purse as a • bounty on its importation. FEB. But the cry now is, 46 the landed interest will be ruined." We would reply, that in a country where there is •a full freedom allowed in the investment of capital, whether its object be land or cotton, funded stock or sugar, the holder of each commodity is - bound to abide by those revolutions in its value, be it what it may, that ate ever to be expected. The funds have been as low as 47; sugar, some years *since, was sold at a tremendous loss ; and, indeed, at such a loss, as even to prevent the West India estates being relieved by the present high prices, in any thing like the degree they require. And what would the landholder say, were the West India planters to come to Parliament, and ask for a " Legislative Protection," that shOuld keep up sugar at its present price ? But are not high prices of provisions most destructive to society ? 'WM it be denied that they advance labour to a most extravagant rate ; that the spirit of speculation gives rise to a spirit of immorality in its practice, of a nature the most injurious to the community ? Of the injury arising from th:s spirit of speculation in land, we have daily had the most self-evident proofs. No dealer in land (for deal ers in land have become as common as dealers in tea, coffee, and sugar) but has been enabled to reap a most unexpected profit on his adventure. It has, or rather had, become a perfect matter of jobbing. Persons have been known to reside in London, and ensure to themselve s considerable profits on investments, which went no far ther than 'a deposit, in part of the original sum *to be finally paid. Was it to be, expected that this state of things could last ? Not - by any reasonable man. But the state of parties on this occasion will be found curious. The landed interest appears to have united on the occasion : 'Whig and Tory, no matter what the deno mination of the party, appear to be unanimous in their de termination to obtain, if possible, legislative protection. ft is true the question was not tried last session, in either Lords or Commons, hut it evidently appeared there was a determination to make up a majority, which the indivi duals in question imagined themselves to possess. The constitution of party thus affords as much ground for reflection as reason for regret. Men who are feelingly alive to the slightest (supposed) breaches of the consti tution ; whose whole lives have been spent in an expres sion of their apprehension lest the privileges of tl:e people should be taken away, or their rights invaded— these men are said to.be the first to advise a step that is to terminate in a law that shall keep up the quartern loaf to one Shilling—these flaming patriots are either to sto their fellow citizens, for whose political interests they are (on. the Hustings) so anxious, Weer in a state of star vation, or else driven to the nei&ibouring kingdom, to seek bread at one-third the price. But for the remit of the question on the . Corn Laws we have no fears. It will, however, lead, to a diseuK.lon of the principles of taxation and paper, credit. These subjects will he wamly discussed, and, we have no doubt, receive much elucidation. I In the mean time; it is probable that a shock will Tie felt that must shake every, even the - meanest esiablish ment, to its very centre. The thheis fast approaching for a tremendous fall in the prices of every article in trade, whether of luxury or ne cessity. The taxation must be redaced . in all its branches, in proportion to the extent of the compeLition to be expe ;kneed from renovated Trappe. Ucuce,. we repeat, the lllit a.v ... " w ~ 88