The Statesman. — London, England, 1820-06-30 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN. peuple.—The Petition was received, as was the Petition of b. W ills, the It.n. Secretary. by wl 44444► it was signed. COTTON lit.ti*Eßs. Mr. Matsu ELL, in rising to make his motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the possibility of affording relief to the distressed Cotton-weavers. apo logized for the partial nature of 1i s proposition. hut he bad felt it necessary to emleavour to alleviate, if teat to cure, the distress of a part of the co ttttt amity. Parliament had received statements, net from the wurking people alone, but from the ,Ilagistrates and Lord Lieutenants of the manufacturing distri..t.:. as suring them that the irritation and sedition in those lows of the courory were caused by distress. It was tint too convincing an argument of the necessity of Reform, when Parliament did not show its alvtiet . y to inquire iuto the case of that surering. It WAS nut too much for him to ask them to inquire into the distress or oue (lase of the labouring inhabitants of the coun try. Whilst the wealthy master-manufacturers were rol!iug in every species or luxury, the operative weevers acre reduced to the extremes! suffering. The cotton manufacture was gradually lessened in quantity and valve, yet we were told by stone that things would tied their level, which meant. if any thing, that the n retched beings must drag on in wreclierinees till they perished. The Hun. Member then alluded to the unequal pressure of taxation, which, by affecting arti r lea of consumption, pressed on the working weaver with his simple loom, while the power loom was exempt from taxivion. It was a fair question,whether this inequality should nut be remedied ? There was j an imperative call for an alteration in the Combination! Laws, which allowed the masters to combine to arty I extern, and prevented the unfortunate operatives from attempting it. It was also a proper subject o f eon. silleration, whether any good could be done by trans ferring the nianufactrtrers who could not get their Fling in their present calling+ to some other work. He thought it a hard and ungenerous recompense to the 1!,C4 who had generously devoted themselves to the u•!stderatiore of this subject, and to the improvement of their fellow -countrymen, that they were not only opposed, but laughed at. He referred to the names of °were Ilowcioft. and Wiles. A change of occu pation fur the poor scented to him the wore necessary, because our efforts to undersell the foreign manufac-: tures only t v,nwirelineti the country with tears' rates. '1 relict.- the i rby enahliue manufacturers to give them employment, a grant of Fechequer Bills should, I.e observed, be made to such as could afford security' fur their repayment. and. iit i.is view, it would be much better to mike such a grant, than to afford aid f • the public purse. as bad been done for the construction of canals, which had no commerce to carry on, or for the improvemeat of ports in which nn accession of shipping could he expected. The employment of the puur would not only relieve suffering humanity, but it would lessen the pressure of the pours'-rates, and enable those who were a bur; hen upon those rates to contri brat, to the revenue by the additional consumption of: excisable articles. He did not think proper to go farther at present into a detail of his views, which w. re certainly not the result of Cursory consideration, as he felt that it would be better to reserve himself for the Committee, where the whole subject might be lit /re deliberately discussed. From such a Committee, if appointed, a Report would he laid before the House as to the course of measures niost expedient to pur sue with respect to the object in view. That object was to allay those discontents which were so empitsti rally adverted to in two ur three of the last speeches from the Throne. and which that House, in its Ad es-rises in reply to these speeches, so solemnly pledged itself to promote. But yet he was sorry to sar, that iti:!ead of taking measures to allay those discontents, by relieving the iliet.ess from which they proceeded, recourse was had to a military force in order to con tout or prevent those expressions, and he really be lieved that very material relief might have been afforded by the sum expended in supporting the military force ; such additional expence within the last year having beets, as he uurlerstoud, above 400,000/. In consider iuo this rase, he would ask any good or rational man whether it would nut be better to present than to cure any disease ?—and why then did nut Government ra ther endeavour to mitigate the discontent of the people than to increase the expence of the army? But he hoped that Parliament would even now be induced to take the subject of public distress into its serious con sideration. If it were observed that the evil was of su:h a nature as rendered it extremely difficult to de vise any remedy, lie would say, that even if it were impossible to find an adequate remedy, still the inquiry would do much good, as It would satisfy the minds of the mitering people of the disposition of the House to render them any service in its power. But he would contend that it was quite practicable to relieve the ma nufacturing poor, if the same liberal spirit were felt towards them that had been manifested towards others —towards Wrench emigrants, American loyalists, Rue slap and German sufferers, &c. earls of whom had been favoured with pecuniary aid front the British treasury. Would It not be ninth more considerate, also, to vote the public money for the relief of the ma nufacturers, than for the 'ready decoration (for he could not say the actual improvement) of the ex terior of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, or for extending the port of Dublin, while its trade was declining, or for other purposes, which he need not name, but to which he could nut help thinking it extremely wrong to apply the public money at such a period as the present ? He thought also that a tax should he imposed upon French lacqueys and Swiss porters, with various other foreigners, a number of whom were at present employed in this country, thus occupying situations, which would otherwise be filled by some of our own people, and thus contributing to augment the poor, and to aggravate their distress. Those pensioners and half-pay officers, find-holders and land-owners also, who were become absentees from this country, should also be subjected to some additional taxation, in con sequence of their absence, and the produce of such taxes should form a fund for the relief of the poor. In what he was on this occasion urging, he was only echoing the sentiments and feelings of the people, fur whom he deemed it his duty to become an advocate. These people freely and forcibly expressed their opi nion, that Parliament and Government ought to attend to their calls for relief; and he was sorry to who's, any indifference to such calls, especially on the part of Uovernmint. He did sot mean to speak offeasavely _ , 0 of Ministers, fur severcl of whom he entertained great personal esteem, but he could not forbear from ob jecting to thi•ii system, as he should ever continue to do so lung as L•e thol , ght it exceptionable, whatever might be his rerson.l attachments or private con nexions. It appeorell to him that this system was radically tenni s ::: for surely it was not in harmony with the system of the universe, that s o me should be ex tremely rich, while multitudes were exceedingly poor. Those who believed in the existence of a Supreme Being, ,•r in the benev,•lence d his attributes, could nut think that state of society correct, in which a few were very high, while the mans• were very wretched, in which those who were idle could revel in every luxury, while those whim lab 'tired could not obtain the means of common subsistence. It might be said, that he spoke rather too strong language, but believing all men equal arcuriling to the laws of nature, he could not think the egregious inequality of condition which existed in this country by any means just ; and lie must urge ni on the consideration of the House. that if it desired to maintain the institutions of the coun try, it was essentially necessary that it should reduce the public expenditure, and relieve the distress of the labouring classes. '1 he peculiar habit of the people of this country, as well as the• of other European na tions, to look of late years especially to the wise insti tutions and cheap Government of America, with some thing like a feeling of sympathy and admiration, could nut be unknown to any observant person, and there fore it behoved Government, fer its own safety, to ame li - liorate the condition of time people. If he, rho was of a different class from those whose cause he pleaded, were thought to speak too strongly upon this occasion, how, lie would ask, were those likely to feel who were setualiy suffering distress ? They felt, he could as sure the House, most keenly, because they were in di rect want. They were ready to emigrate to any quar ter of the world in search of bread, and yet be had not been able to procure a conveyance for any of his distressed constituents, either to the Cape of Good Hope or to North America, although others, by no means so much in want were furnished with such means. But this was, perhaps, owing to his want of ability. or of slue influence on the Ministerial side of that Houso. The lion. Member concluded with mov ing. for time appointment of a Coniniittee to consider of the means of relieving the cotton manufacturers with out injury to the community. Mr. F. P.11.311ta secoutle t t the moti.m. Mr. Rim NV'S ohs Teed, that it was tolerably well knuwo i.e was no advocer for Parliamentary Reform, and hr was the less so, becanu; he was unwilling to convert the House into a elllegi• of disputauts. But his lion. Friend seemed disposed, from the variety of subjects to which he adverted, to render the Commit tee be proposed quite an arena for disputation, and the very first point which he would have this Cui . nit tee discuss was an abstract. 1 hat Committee might be useful and essential its collecting and arranging facts anti int . ..rotation, he was ready tu.aduait, but this was, he believed, the first time it was proposed to re fer to a Committee the discussiou of an abstract idea. The Hun. Member's professed object was to benefit the cotton manufacturers, but how !bat was to be done by such taxes as lie proposed upon foreign Servants and absentees, he (Mr. It.) wrs at a los:, to imagine. With respect to the absentees, many, he believed the great ' majority of them were obliged to resort to other countries for cheap living, in consequence of the depression of their circumstance; and would the Honourable Member seriously press fur an aggrava tion of those circumstances by the imposition of an additional tax : Would Parliament consent to such in justice, or, hr would say, to such inhumanity and imp !icy ? The lion. Member deprecated luxury, fur which he (Mr. R.) was certainly nu advocate, as a moral good; but lie apprehended it niight easily be shown in various ways, such as the cumber of servants, ur the general amount of expense siting the ri c h, th a t the abandonment of luxury would tend rather to ag gravate than to relieve the distress of the labouring classes. In what the Hon. Member bad advanced on the means of relieving the distress of the manufacturer he professed to echo the language of his constituents, and this furnished an additional argument against the proposed Committee, the appointment of which would only serve to propagate delusion, without leading to any practical good, or even to any temporary palli ative for the evils complained of. At all events, from the variety of matter which the lion.3lember proposed to submit to the Committee, in conjunction with his abstract ideas, he could hardly suppose it would be thought possible, at this period of the Session, to make any progress in such a complicated investigation. 1)n those grounds, then, be felt it his duty to move the previous question. Mr. RICARDO observed, that the Hon. Mover of the original motion appeared to be quite mistaken in his' conception of the Inactions of Iluvernment. i"or it was not the duty of tieveraineut to provide sabsisktice , fur the peupie, but to protect their industry, by re moving all obstacles to its exertion—by setting aside every restriction upon commerce and manufacture. Where Hovernment, indeed, interfered fur any ether purpose than the performance of this duty, it gene rally did a great injury. Mr. LOCKHART opposed the original motion, con ceiving that its adoption would only serve to hold out false hopes, which might probably induce the agricul turists and other cl a of the people whose distress was quite equal to that of those fur wheel the Hon. Mover was an advocate, to make similar applications to that House. He particularly deprecated the Hoe. Member's proposition to tax absentees, for such a tax would most probably urge those to take away their capitals from this country, who at present only spent their incomes in other nations; and the capital, once take% away, was by no means likely to return. Mr. MAXWV.L, after a short reply, consented to withiraw his motion until the next Session. The Emo tion Was accordingly withdrawn. The other Orders of the Day were disposed of, and the House adjourned. The venerable oak on Fairlup Common, Epping Forest, ender whose branches so many happy parties have so often rusticated, ha; it seem; been sold, and its timbers are to be converted into smut-boats, and other light fancy article; z' , EXPEDIENCY OF OPENING 4 FREE TRAPF WITH THE VARIOUS STATES OF EUROPE. It is, however, to the state of our intercourse with France, says a writer in the last EdinGargh &Heir, that the public attention ought to be chiefly directed. At this distance of time, continues he, it is of no im portance to inquire which of the two countries was the first to fetter and restrict the trade with its must civilly d and opulent neighbour. Both parties, we believe, were in this respect equally blameable; and whichever may have been the first to commence this fe o de se crusade on the comforts and enjoyments of its own subjects, its measures have been but too well seconded by the other. Ihe wretched effects of such blind and infatuated policy have at length become manifest. Instead of being, .what they have been most absurdly and wickedly designated, natural ene mies, Britain and France, from their near vicinity, and the extreme variety. as well in their raw as in tii it manufactured products, are especially fitted to maintain an extensive and mutually advantageous in tercourse. it is to France marls more Ikea to either South or North America or the East Indies, that zee should look fur nem rhannels of comsat ref. We ought to show that we have emancipated ourselves front the disgraceful prejudices 1. w hich our ancestors were actuated, when they decaed the trade with France a unisginet (Prohibition Act, Ist William and Mary); and that the experience of a century has satisfied us, that a rich, populous, and highly cultivated country, must afford a in,:cli better market for our products, than one that is comparatively poor and miserable. We do nut, however, contend, that any preference ought to be given to the trade with France over that with Portugal, or any other country. Laissez noes fui e, is our maxim. Certainly, however, if any par tiality were to be shown, we should have very little hesitation indeed in preferring THIRTY millions of rich customers to THMEI millions ofpoor ones. But, although we do not reap a single advantage from our trade with Portugal, which might not be reaped in ate:m/01d greater proportion from a liberal intercourse with France, we desire no obstacles to be thrown in the way of our in tercourse with this • dear and near ally." So far from this, we should be extremely well pleased were those now existing entirely done away, and the duties on port wine reduced to one-half thEir present amount. All that we want is. that the same favour should be shown to the trade with France, and that our manufacturers and merchants should no longer be . excluded from the must extensive market in the world, merely because a Mr. Methuen, who nego tiated a treaty with Portugal in 1703, seems to have been of opinion, that this was the best method by Which commerce could be promoted! Why should a consumer of claret be obliged to pay 143/. 16s. per ton of duty, when a consumer of port is enabled to purchase the same quantity on payment of a duty of 95/. 1 ls.? And why should as large a duty be levied from the vine ordinuires, as from those of the first qua lity All this appears to us to be pitifully absurd and , ridiculous. Uovernment might surely find enough to do without interfusing to regulate the drinks of its subjects. The same moderate ad valorem duties ought to be imposed on all wines without distinction ; and the consumers left to determine for themselves whether port and sherry be really preferable to claret and champaigne. • In a former article on this subject (No. 63, Art; Ill.), we supposed that, were the trade to France thrown open, and silks, wines, cambric., ke. ad mitted, on payment of reasonable duties, the British silk manufacture would not be able to stand the com petition, and that the capital invested iu it would have to be gradually transferred to some more lucre tire employment. We are now, however, inclined to think, that even this trilling inconvenience would not be experienced. The greater part of the silk manufactured in France is of foreign growth; but , 1 while the French manufacturer only pays an equal duty of about 2s. Gd. per pound on both raw and 4 thrown silk, the English manufacturer has to pay ss. 6d. per pound of duty on the former, and 13s. • on the latter! Nu wonder, when such an immense advantage is given to the French, that they should be able to beat us out of the foreign market, and even to smuggle a considerable quantity into this country.l But Mr. Ellice, Member for Coventry, one of the principal seats of the silk manufacture, distinctly and explicitly stated, in his speech on Mr. Bennet's mo tion fur an Inquiry into the state of the Manufacturing Districts, that if Ministers would take off the tax on , the raw material, he would consent, on the part of 1 1 his constituents, to open the ports for a free trade with Trusser in tartlet(' of silk snannjaetaire. 's Ido nut," said the Honourable Headman, " speak mud visedly ; and I am certain, that, in that case, this country would at least furnish as much as she would receive." • For the information of ear readers, we subjoin a state mat alba ilailm payable, per tee. ow Ma dilfersat spades of foreign wises imported tem this amity. Daly ow French wines imported le a British per ten. vessel - - - - Z 143 18 U Ditto on Presets wines imported in a foreign vessel - - - 118 4 -0 Duty on Portugal and Spanish whiles imported he a British vessel - - 93 II 0 Ditto on Portugal and Spanish wises Imported IN a foreign vessel - - 98 18 0 Duty on Madeira wine in a British vessel 911 13 0 Ditto on Madeira wine in a foreign vessel UV 16 8 Dety on wine imported from the Cape of Good Hope is es-( Foreign vessel 31 18 9 wily one-third of the dotty onßritish vessel 31 17 II Portugal and Spanish vim., Duty es Germany and Hungary wines lea Bri tish 11011514 • - - 111 3 11 in a foreign vessel - - ' In 1U 0 The wnrks in Westminster-ball and the Abbey con dors without interruption; but the other preparations for the Coronation are said to be suspended. The Journal of Voyefee and Thief Is proceeds with unabated interest, and has become an estAblished work of extensive circulation. The last Number contains " Travels in Spain, by an Officer in the British Army;" the former one gave " Prince Maximilian's Travels in the Brazils;" and the previous one, " Travels I. Africa." Every Number gives for 3s. 6d. the matter of a two or three guinea volume; and the embellishments challenge competition With say work, for their execution and variety. The next Parts will give " Pertusier's Constantinople," and "Castellan's Italy." " Brave, brave, by reatens—she desertcs a C•nr-". " Al( that had been Intended towards her Majed, Ammar, randorr, feding. and bencrolexce."—m r : (o. SUNG'S 'CR. Jaw 7, 19.20. " Let them, as a body, be henceforth designated, d aft ., lebrit% Is not confin e d to ill us trious deeds , by th eft : style, and title, of the Gre e n Bag Administration," T.rrren IX. TO THE EDITOR OF TIII STATESMAN. Sta•—•l he odious Oreen Bag Is now at lean opened ; and there is no receding. The dreaded is. quiry is begun, which the House of Commons degl ori d o " whieherer ray it might 1. mingle, new Ire 4i, op pointing to Me hopes of Parliament, derogater u i s fh t di troity of the Co own, sad injurious to the 6tst Wave; of the NOtlaa :" and this measure, which, ace or di ii to themselves, may be followed by such terrible ea t sequences, is adopted for no other possible re a ,„,, than that Ministers choose rather to be the &gent l e a proceeding, which they disapprove, deprecate, li d affect to dread, than to resign their places. I ow. this is the sole reason. For their resignation * o i l have infallibly put an end to the inquiry, time man, either in the Opposition, or out of doors, ea* be found, who would degrade himself by 'emptier of bffice upon the condition of prosecuting it. fh then, for whatever calamities may arise out g this inquiry, Ministers have rendered theasselta answerable, if responsibility were, indeed, any thieg more than an empty name. Let them, howrter, be. ware. When the possibility of punishing great elb prits, by the regular forms of law, : when they can transgress with impunity, fllnbeelr.; above the law ; and from thence th ransitioa to sir state of nature, in which those who are aggrieved, without remedy, may be tempted in their turn to tail tie law into their own hands, is not very ilicant. W 0 it be any excuse for Ministers, when those rvibt a r i se which they themselves have predicted, if even is? lesser degree, to say that they were not hound, in order to prevent them, to make a sacrifice of their official situations for even a month, or a day : for, nothine more would have been necessary? But, if evils to the utmost extent of those predictions should happen, what will they say for the•uselves, or what ran be said fur them? Without any reference, however, to what may be the consequences of the inquiry itself, Dow entered upon, or the manlier in which it may be condom& the misconduct of Ministers, in the whole of the re. vions proceedings, has been must flagrant and mt. rageous. THE Qt'EEN. My first letters were employed hi show!ag the gality of Liturgy placed bability, tumid not she coal% been completel , . .. 1 'a a i 1 e trierablv jug, fur • rums proceeutngs, nu neen most nagrant and ust- rageous. 1 My first letters were employed hi showing the gality of the omission of her Majesty's name is the Liturgy ; the necessity under which her Majesty was placed of immediately returning to Ragland; the pro. bability, that, if she had not returned promptly, she could not have returned at all ; the certainty that, if she could not have returned at all, she witeld hare been completely at the mercy of Ministers, i. ' trierably ruined; the baseness of Ministers in attempt- jug, for so many years, to prejudge the case of her 1 Majesty, without granting her the fair and pal is trial which she claimed, whilst theylmpedestly rsW against what they called the prejudgment of the pi* in the else of the perpetrators of the Manchester sic 1 sacre, whom they screened from that trial or inquiry, which the public loudly demanded ; with others at • i those acts of criminality, insolence, and indecorum, by which they have distinguished themselves upon this occasion. The arguments which I then used, and which hen ' al4o been used more ably by other disinterested person ow, of tfoors,ll conclude must have been found courier ing, since they nose begin to he partially employed is both Houses of Parliament. Sonic Members of tbsn august bodies, or CAembere, as our great foreip gociator would say, begin at least to doubt duke/kg e of this proceeding respecting the Liturgy; asdthis k already a step towards the perception of what is, b all other Chenatoere, " as clear as noun day," its isol illegality. Asterism. 1 CITY OF DUBLI.V ELECTION. (FROM via DVELIX EVININO POST OF JONI rig 1 This important contest commenced on !Mt At an early hour the friends of Mr. Ellis, who were milted by a private door, fi lled the Court, and nerd Mr. Orattan's friends were able to Baia adasissies wig the doers were lung open at twelve o'clock. Mr. h ' got in the back way at about tee o'clock. Mr. ' arrived in an epee carriage at twelre, attended hf veral of the meet respectable characters is the cite, after considerable delay, he was at Ipsgth ea in to the hustings. The Proclamation was read by the Crier, Itallinalls with the words, si God save ale King 0 ' • •• (beet." said a voice in the crowd. 'The ether Preeir y. mations, the writ, Ice. having been read, The Lime MATO. rose and said—m Mr. walla ii t Gentlemen, I beg your attention for a memeat. la• deed, 1 am not very well —(• Peet ante AM a is the crowd}—hat I propose l'keimas INK Ng • 11 fit and proper person to revelment this alb ' ll meet.—{hisses,groans, and cries el 'l: e rri d t• draw,'-1 will only say, that if I did net hies. nds in my conscience, to be a faithful and as hellea_., man, upon my honour I would not propose him.”--(• 6 " laughter, hisses, and groans) Mr. LELAND Mittutir seconded Mr. Ellis's iseasi* tion, in a voice hardly audible to the Sheriff—(t O -nr e need hisses, and cries of withdraw !) The Right lion. W. C. Pi.un acre dinars.% mai d a loud cheering, waving of hats, &c., and, is a 'Plead • and affecting speech, proposed Henry Wane. tl a fit and proper person to represent tige city SI in Parliament. Mr. Anxisua Gutxxssa very ably weeded nation.—(He was enthusiastically cheered.) • Neither of the Candidates addressed the sinters. The Sesame then called fora show of Mr. Ellis. Three hands were raised, amidst an aral f • of groans and hisses, The:Sheriff !battened ler a.def of hands for Mr. Grattan. Instantly hands , hat •M lc kerchiefs innumerable, waved in the sir , sad the maw mations were almost deafuing. The Sherif kh b the show of home to be in favour of Mr.Orattaa.--(11! 6 acclamations were redoubled.) —Alderman mended a poll, and the Sheriff's Assessorr snake the set...wiry arraagements--severing la da' 4/P. ti puttee. Ise. The polling colosseaced, and until six o'clock. Celalat Mr. Grattan, Mr. James Grattan, Mr. They , ci Mares. Captain Fotterel, then severally add .sn the E lectors. • F I 1 ri f a , I % I