The National Register. — London, England, 1817-05-05 00:00:00

414 br 0 POLITICAL :DISQUISITION. -....- • No. 482.—V0i.. X. EMPLOYMENT OF TIIF room In another part of this day's Paper we have given an Abstract of the Bill lately brought into Parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to authorise the issue of Exchequer Bills and the advance of money out of the Consolidated Fund, for carrying on Public Works and Fisheries in the United Kingdom, and em ployment of the Poor. This is a subject of great in terest. We briefly touched upon it in our last. It will not be necessary for us, in offering our further re marks upon this measure, to recapitulate every clause of Mr. Vansittart's Bill. The reader can readily refer to them, in the abstract given below. It must be confessed, that very great difficulties ap pear to present themselves to the prompt execution of this patriotic plan for the relief of the Poor ; but it should not be given up in despair on that account.— The sum to be advanced is one million and a half to be issued in Great Britain. According to the Population Returns in 1811, there arc in England 823, 88 fami lies chiefly employed in trade, manufactures, or handi- - craft . ; in Wales there are 36,044 families so employed ; and in Scotland 169,417 families ; making a total of 1,129,049 families. The total population of Great Britain was 12,596,803 Persons ; and the total num ber of families either employed in agriculture, trade, manufactures, or handicraft, was 519,168. It is impossible to estimate the exact number of pool among all these persons who arc at present out of em ploy ; but it would appear that, taking the most gloomy view of the subject—and, God knows ! there have nut been wanting persons to give our distresses as dismal an aspect as they can possibly wear—the sum of 1,500,0001. . judiciously husbanded, may be employed in the most useful, and, at the same time, the most humane manner ; and that, comparatively few industrious persons need to be totally out of employ for want of capital to execute public works, to the erection of which the labouring part of the community is essential. How many works of great promising utility, are at this time arrested in their progress fin want of capital in the original adventurers to complete them ! Canals far advanced—Bridges half finished—Public Roads in complete—Mines, Railways, and Buildings of various kinds, are left unprofitable to the projectors, not for want of any obvious benefit that would result to the proprietors; but solely on account of the sudden and - unexpected stagnation in the Trade and Commerce of the Country; by which money has become scarce, or, which is the same thing, public credit weakened ; and the confidence, and liberality which, in more auspi cious days, subisted between the Trading and the .Mo nied classes of the community checked. Dealers in money have now but few inducements to lend ; be cause those who want it have no goad security to offer. Confidence in the Government is, however, still un shaken-; at least, among those who have any money to lend. It should not be lost sight of, that this sum of a million and a half is ofli2red only by way of assist ance—that is in, aid of, or in addition to, the sums al ready in the hands of those who may borrow, for the commencement or the completion of public works.— This sum, therefore, will put into circulation, in the shape of weekly wages, perhaps three times its own amount—" It is only a little assistance which we want—lt is merely a temporary help—An addition to our own resources, just at this time—and then we shall be able to go on Money begets Money*— says the proverb—We know, if we could but have a little lift, that we could keep on our men, and finish our plans." Such is the kind of language we hear every day. It comes, we admit, in numerous instances, from the lips of mere needy adventurers—sometimes from designing knaves—and often from well-meaning, but too sanguine and imprudent speculators. But it is true, nevertheless, with regard to very many per sons, and particularly public bodies, whose plans are not merely feasible, but obviously important and valua ble. The wise man, before he begins to build his house, will, we know, count the cost ; but who was wise enough to have calculated on the sudden commer cial stagnation that we have recently experienced? Who could have foreseen the embarrassments which a bad season has produced ? We arc told that Lord Castlereagh had a fine opportunity at Vienna—He alionat Iktroicittr+ Our Ili - onOtitution anb Vaind. IAY, MAY 3, 1817. could have done wonders for our commerce, had he only studied our interests. It is nauseating—it is sickening—to rind the nonsense that has been published on this subject..' Could Lord Castlereagh have revived the almost malted energies of the continental mer chants ?—Could kin have forced into circulation those hoards which dile, fearful miser, the doubting fund holder, or the prudent and cautious tradesman had accumulated during the days of prosperity? Could his Lordship have forced open the ports of Europe, Asia, Africa, anal merica to the manufactures and produce of onr little Island ? Peace and Monty am two very pretty words; but we are apt to be misleil by the sound of them ; the al literation has contributed to confirm our notions, that Plenty must immediately follow Peace, as a matter of course. "If we could only weather the storm till the end of the war, oir Trade would revive—Money would suddenly pour in upon us like a fruitful ri ver—the seas would soon become covered with mer chantmen, sand all would go on swimmingly." These fine theorie would certainly have been realised, had it not been fire that confounded Lord Castlereagh ! Some way or other; but nobody can tell how, this same i Lord Castlereagh svoiled all—lie " put his foot in it ;" but the why usd,,the wherefore—the how, and the what manner, even the illuminati could not discover. " 1 clo netlike thee Doctor Fell, " The reason why I cannot tell." To whatever the distresses and embarrassments which followed the " sudden transition from War to Puce," are owing, not one man in a thousand anticipated them—Though some, it is true, told us that unless we had a change of Ministers—that unless the Tories were kicked eat, and the Whigs were pushed in, we should be damned to a certainty ; vet, as these sort of predic tions are matters of 6ottrse, and were like Coleman's impossibilities, which "—Neva, cover, come to pass," but few sensible men paill much attention to them. Thus, in hopes of " times getting better," enterpris ing and speculating men embarked very large sums of money in the projection of extensive works of various kinds.—Their capital, however, became exhausted, be fore the means of recruitine , it had been afforded them. Wien, more cautious, held back—they had many plans of public utilito, but they were fearful of em barking. We anticipate, therefore, great benefit to the com munity by this timely aid of 1,500,000, in addition to what has already been expended, and what is yet re served, for the same purpose, in the hands of indivi duals ; by which many thousand of industrious artisans, of every description, who are now pining in want, may find employment, and, " turn themselves round," till our foreign commerce shall revive—till the overstocked markets on the continent arc thinned—till all the plans of Economy and Retrenchment, which Ministers have projected, and are projecting, arc accotnplished—till the weight oftaxatimiiit+equently abated—till, above all, the Leeads of our ruinous oystem of country bank ' ing are subsided ; and till public and private confidence is revived, and the noxious breath of faction and re bellion is dispersed by the healing gales of religion, and clurarfid obedience to the laws : we say, till these ra tional expectation; can be realized, this addition to our private means for arrying on public works and fisheries will prove, though confessedly only a tempo rary measure, a real benefit to the country, and a bless ing to the manuflicturing and labouring poor : nor will its effects perish with pie cause. These will exist, as so ninny wotimuents of our greatness ; and when pos terity shall ask. to Alit does such and such a bridge, such and such a building owe its origin, the answer will be one of the evet pleasing paradoxes ever pro pounded:—'To vicedistressesof the poor, the embarrass meats of commerce, AM tho stagnation of trade! Thus " good shall come ofesil ;" and the poor of future days will learn to drive from their minds the bitterness of despair, and to rely with confidence on the protec tion of a government, which if' once dissolved, must plunge the whole country in one indiscriminate mass of ruin and destruction. ' AIiti:LVA.C.O OF A BILL To ilLatorize Me Iroctiaciarker and the Advance of Mo ney out of the Cortii?aardl'o nd, fbr earrome 03 PAWL- Works ost.t.F74heeics is ale rYstftd icrloas, and P.:v:41;034A1 if the Poor. •4 • " Eselioquer bills, net paceeilin, the amount oft ,500,0001. may be bsetwi at Cwt. 'Obtain cat 4.) payable within Once years. A, opt " In Ireland, Lord Lieutenant may do eet the issue of 230,0001. out avowing produce of Consolidated F I there. " Commissioners for the execution of the act in (great Bri tain to he named in the bill; for Ireland to be appointed by the Lord Lieutenant. To be sworn, and to act without sale, ries. " Commissioners to examine parties coming before them on oath : and to class all applications, and to certify the. Au:ls required to the treasury in Great Britain, and to the Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, who art thereupon to dirt e' the issue of Lxelimpler bills or Advitace of money accordingly. " Persons receiving advances for the use of any corpora- tion, or parish in Great Britain, shall give their personal security, by bon d l to the King. " Mortgages of tolls, &c. shall also be taken, which shall have preference over II dividends and claims of proprietors ; but not over claims of prey ions creditors without the consent of 4sths of them. " Money may be advanced in Ireland in aid of works managed by Commissioners appointed by the Lord Lieute nant, on mortgitge oldie rates, " Trustees of roads may increase tolls to secure the pity meats to au amount not exceeding one half of the original toll. " Advances to parishes in Great Britain shall he made only on application of tour-fifths in value, and a majority in num ber of the inhabitants, and shall out exceed the amount of the last half-year's Poor Rate, tit Easter, 1517 ; to be paid out of accruing rates, within two years after Easter, ISIS; but suck advance shall be male only when such last Poor Rate was double the amount of the last three year's average. " Amount of Exchequer bills advanced to corporations, /cc. in Great Britain, shall be paid with 5 per emit interest, fifteen days before the Exchequer '.ills become dot " Sums advanced in Ireland shall be paid with 6 per cent. interest, by such instalments is C4iminissioners there shalt di. rest, with consent of the Lord Lieutenant. " Exchequer bills issued and not used, shall be cancelled. "Tre_.sury may repay other Exchequer bills with sums pail. " Clanse.s for securing repayment by process. Commis sioners empowered to compound with bankrupts. " Seven Commissioners a quo. um iu Great Britain. the majority in Ireland, except in cases specified where three 1114 y amt. " Bank of England shall keep account with Commis sioners. " F.scheqtter bills charged on aids of IS2O. • "Commissioners to report to Parliament. " Vac.oicies in Commissioners to he siippl:eil in Great. no- Wm •by die snrylvors, eve. In Ireland by the Lui il Liss. teuAID." INDUSTRY AND VIRTeE.—T he following ease is ex.. tracted from a series of Essays, by a Mr. Phillips, on producing Employment fir the hard of man, and the means of producing a vast increase of human sustenance; so that mankind, according to their several states, may become participators of the gifts of Fleaven :—" A poor woman, labouring with more than ordinary masculine power, on a high bank where the plough could not he used, attracted the notice of Mr. P. and ocatsiotied the following conversation Good woman you work very hard ; have you not a large family ?' A. 'My husband, myself, and eight children.'—' What does your husband earn ?'—' As he is a good workman, he has Bs. a week: What allowance have you from the parish?'—' None.' Pray how do.you exist—what is your flood ?—' Ah Sir, we should be glad to do better for our dear chil dren : long ago we left off the use of meat, and bread we are now strangers to ; we eat barley meal and po tatoes ; we pay 30s. a year rent tier our cottage, and 40s. a year v.r this half acre of potatoe ground.'—During this conversation the poor woman did not cease her lend work, civilly answering, without discontinuing the turning up of the heavy clod.—' My husband (continul ed the good woman) rises sometimes at three o'clock in the morning to work here before he goes to his daily labour, and then conies again after it is finished. I steal a few hours when I can to lessen his How do i , set eloathing ?—' We buy such old things as we can : thank God, we give our children a little learning : we send four at a time to school, and pay a week with each.'—' Pray tell me, have you goo(' health?'—' rhank the Lord, we have ; but 'tis very hard !—The poor we man then seemed to wipe a tear, and standing up for a moment, with her hand on the spade, it evidently ap. peared an increase to her numerous Family was near at hand.-- , What is your name and abode?'—' Petty, stockey, Miles parish, near Ilchester, Sotnersetshire.. Mr. Phillips ascertained the truth from other persona, and immediately transmitted the case with many others, to the Min mince of the I louse of Commons on the Pt ‘r Laws." . •"r V OLIVI( CROIIIWELCh PALACE.— This place of r 4tidencr, to which so notch importance is athlehed hi the paz.e, of Eu. ;Will history, was blunt to the ground cm Wedoesd.ty aelinight, in Clerkenwell dose. The tire cumin( ~ced at the . , % ;:- \ . e.nrpers's house ;" VI luck, after having undergone a rArtesty• %.. .._ it of trunsfornottioti., had at It ngth become the amble tits. ilil/4/ .... 7 '' f% *"1 4,, ,, Of li picture -fra - ue.maker. It %%as itt iliia bou,c Alai tki• ..X 7 -,-.,. , „: . 41ea.th-warraut of king CLattes I. Nab miuned by Ctuum..l. • it h -- lii). pr c • i 1 '' ‘ li4: •••-.. ;;;• \,. .-- N....- •,-f, .:•"..k,...0 ~. i I