The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-06-07 00:00:00

cured the constantly increasing calamities which af fected the agricultural interest. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER admitted, that a revision of this matter was desirable, but t!tie present proposition might be dangerous. It might be advisable to try an experiment to a small scale, such as taking one Instead of five per cent. — Ile agreed in the propriety of encouraging the growth of our n.• n wool. Mr. D. GIDDY was anxious to see the proper de. gree of encouragement applied to the growth of wool, although he wos aware that the cotten trade must necessarily interfere with it. It nasto be regretted 11 at we had no public wool-market, and that the laws threw so many obstacles in the way of the tran sit and coasting trade. Sir 11. PARNELL approved of the object of the motion, but recommended the withdrawing it for the present. M. J. P. GRANT was of opinion that the wool trade ought at least to he put on an equal footing with every othet branch of trade. As an article of revenue, the auction duty on the sale of wool pro• (laced nothing, and could, therefore, he maintained only on some principle of real or supposed commer cial footing. It stood before the House as a mere matter of regulation, and lie was happy to find from the liberal views expressed by the Right Ilon. Gen tleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer), that there, was now ground for looking to the entire abrogation of those laws relating to the wool trade which were a disgrace to the legislation of the country. Mr. H. SUMNER. was surprised that the atten tion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer had not long since been applied to this important subject. Lord LASCELLES said a few words, the import of which we could not collect. Mr. ROSE recommended the most ample delibern. lion previous to any legislative interference with the laws in quention. Mr. WESTERN thought hi; motion had been in some degree misconceived. He had proposed no measure at all connected with the laws relating to the exportation of British wool; its•object was spe cilifilly confined to the auction duty. The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER ex pla:ned ; and after some farther conversation, the motion was agreed to, and the House resolved itself into a Committee on the Acts in question. ' A Resolution was then agreed to, that a Bill should be brought in for reducing the Auction Duty on the sale of Sheep's Wool, the growth of this country. Mr. ROSE gave notice of a motion for Friday ;text, relative to the resent state of mendicity in this country. FINANCE. Mr. TIERNEY' enquired whether it was in the contemplation of the Right Honourable Gentleman to propose any new measures of finance, in the place of those which had been abandoned ? The Stamp 'Duties had not yet been brought before Parliament, bet he understood that there were alterations, and that their original amount was calculated at 800,0001. The Wine Tax was withdrawn, and he understood that the Tobacco and new Customs and Excise Duties Were *attmasee .5 1 ,&)fl MA. had the Right Hon. Gentleman no farther Ways and Means of meeting theittlfileulties of the present crisis ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in a low tone of voice, observed, that the Right Hon. Gentleman had accurately stated the original esti• mated produce of the new taxes which had not been abandoned. The Stamp Duties, however, had been newly modified, and were now estimated at 1,000,0001. For whatever deficiency might arise in the Ways and Means already before Parliament, it was the in tention of his Majesty's Government to propose re sorting to the Stock now in the hands of the public Commissioners. Mr. GRENFELL gave notice of a motion on the subject of the public balances deposited in the Bank of England. Mr. BENNETT desired to know whether the Noble Lord on the other side was prepared to state the present amount of his Ro}al Highness the Prince Regent's debts? Lord CASTLEREAGH said, that the account had been made up to the 30th of May last, that the amount was 339.0001. Mr. TIERNEY thought the most advisable and shortest way was to pay oti the uhole at once, or to come to some resolution to that effect. Lord CASTLEREAGH apprehended there might be a dilieroice between what was the shortest, and what was the cheapest way. Mr. T 1 EKNEY said, he conceived the question of cheapest was not the only question connected with this unpleasant subject. These debts were an eye sore to the country, nor could the security of the creditors be deemed complete without some Parlia mentary recognition of their claims. • Mr. 11. ADDINGTON then, in pursuance of. a notice he had given, moved for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the Acts relating to the trans portation of convicted offenders. After a few words from Mr. lIOLFORD and Sir CHARLES MONCK, the question was put and carried in the affirmative. Mr. TIEItNEY enquired when the Subsidiary Treaty would be laid before the House. Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, to:morrow, pro bably. MANUFACTURES, Sir ROBERT PEEL called the attention of the louse to the expediency of some legislative regula tion, for the purpose of restricting the employment of young children in manufacturing labour. It was well known that a bad practice had prevailed of con demning children whose years and strength did not admit of it, to .the drudgery of occupations often severe and sometimes unhealthy. What he was dis posed to recommend was a regulation that no chil dren should be so employed under the age of ten years, either as apprentices or otherwise, and that the duration of their labour should be limited to twelve hours and an half per diem, including the time for education and meals, which would leave ten hours for laborious employment. The accounts he had recently seen shower) that it was not so mach the hardship as tAe duration of the labour which bad produced mischievous effects on the health of the tising generation. It was to be lamented, hOwever, hat the • inspectors appointed Wider a late Act had bfta iery remiss fn thisl3erf6'rmance of theit TIIE STATESMAN. He should, in consequence of this misfortune, pro , pose, that proper persons be appointed at Quarter Sessions, and that they should be paid in due pro. portion for their trouble. It was gratifying, how. ever, to I.sti u, that the loss of life had beets of late exceedingly small, not exceeding one per cent. per annum, a loss falling short of the average loss sus tained in every outer class of manufacturing in dustry. As he was desirous that the measure he was now suggesting, should he put into the most per fect state that was attainable, he should submit that the Bill for which he intended to move might be read a first time. and then printed. During the recess it might be circulated through the country, and receive the proper amendments. It could, if it should be found necessary to guard against the arts of design ing men, be afterwards made a part of the Bill, that no engagement contracted after this period, in violation of the provisions of the Bill, should be lawful. Under these considerations, he moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend and extend the former Acts, &c. Mr. W. SMITH said a few words in favour of the Bill, which he conceived to be now in the most pro. per hands. Mr. HORNER approved of the Bill As far as it went, but conceived that all measures of this sort were merely palliatives. He thought that Parliament should turn its attention seriously to the question of allowing parish children to be put apprentices in the cotton manufactories. At present a great num ber of children of a tender age were sent as appren tices at a distance of 200 miles from their home, and entirely withdrawn from the comfort and advantage of being under the inspection of their parents, which was so necessary at that tender age. Cases had oc curred, when upon the bankruptcy of some of those individuals who had taken those apprentices, whole , gangs of those children had been transferred by sale with the stock in trade. Cases had occurred, where many of those children so transferred had been left almost in a famishing state. He supposed that those cases were rare, but still the possibility of their re curring was sufficient to engage the most serious at tention of Parliament. He had once heard a state ment of a fact still more horrible than the cases he', bad stated : it was of a bargain, where for every 1 twenty sound children handed over to the manufac- turers, it was agreed by them that one idiot child : should be taken. It appeared to him that the best , way of preventing those evils would be for Par- i liament to prohibit the practice of sending the chil- dren of the poor to be apprenticed at a great dig- I I Lance from their homes and from their parents. 1 I Mr. PHILLIPS said, that, however necessary i I it was once for the manufacturers to endeavour to increase the population in the neighbourhood of their , , manufactories, that necessity had now in a great j I measure ceased, and the great improvements in ma. 1 ; chinery hail ve-y much diminished the apprenticing' system. Ile showed, from a return which he had received from a house of the very first rate, that by i "far the greater number of persons now employed , in the manufactories consists of persons upwards of 14 years of age. As to limiting the hours that they I were to work, it must be recollected that this would be limiting also the comforts and 'advantages that they were to derive from their work. 1 Mr. HOME SUMNER wished, that a short Bill , could be passed this Session to compel from other' manufacturers detailed reports, such as the Honour- I able Gentleman had received from one manufacturer. —ln such case the House would possess informa tion to direct them neat Session how to legislate onl 1 this subject. After a few words from Mr. ROSE, leave was ; given to bring hi the Bill. 1 would he 'a breach of the spirit of the Navigation Act. That Act, however, had been originally in tended for the encouragement of our commerce and our seamen, much more than to encourage the trade of ship-building, although this trade flourished, as was naturally to be expected, in the general pro sperity of our commerce. The Navigation Act was, however, never at any time, so construed, ni under the words, British-built ships,• to exclude the ships which were built in our colonies. Indeed, the very words of It mentioned the territories in possession of his Majesty. It was perfectly well known, that when America was in the situation of a colony, Ame rican-built ships were not considered as excluded by the Navigation Act, from the advantages given to British ships. He would now ask, upon what prin ciple of justice were the Americans, and every nation in amity with us, to have advantages in t his trade, which were to be denied to British India With respect to what had been said as to the state of desti• tution of the yards, he was convinced that it was not . . . . , that they could build them cheaper than %re could in this country ; and it was just as clearly ascertained, that all nations would purchase where they cot.ld do it the cheapest. The Right Honourable Gentleman . had also told us, we %%ere in danger of losing India. He was sorry to say we had a similar version to that doctrine from eren a higher authority than the Right Honourable Gentleman. Warren Hastings hiro.4.lf had declared in that House that we held India only by a thread, and that thread was public opinion. India had already been three times in great danger from want of attention to this. Once from the inter ference and intrigues of foreign enemies, who had nearly turned the tide against you. Another time from some ridiculous but wanton alteration of the fashion of their turbans or the cut of their beards ; and the third from a difference between the King's and the Company's officers. It had been said that we were beuud to encourage and support India by all the means in our power, but we were not hound to give such encouragement at the expense or risk of our own paramount security—oor maritime strength. For these reasons be had opposed the further progiess of the Bill. Mr. WALLACE explained. ' Mr. F. DOUGLAS replied to the arguments Of the last Speaker, whose apprehensions, from the en. actment of this Bill, he considered as quite vision ary. The Hon. Member appeared to him to base quite mistaken the authorities to which he refetie.l, with regard to the security of our Indian Empire. That Empire was, in his (Mr. D.'s) opinion, best se. cured to this country by treating its inhabitants with Justice—by allowing it to make use of its produce, and import its commodities on the fairest terms. Such was the object of this Bill, and therefore he sup. ported it, being always willing to treat our Colonies as friends rather than to deal with them as enemies, which seemed to be the import of the last Speaker's observations. . . occasioned by the East India shipping, but by the j Sir CHARLES MONCK opposed the Bill. He want of that employment which Government had af- did hope, from the full consideration which this mei. forded them during the war, and also by their own sure had undergone, that his Majesty's Ministers improvidence, in driving away every species of ship- would have seen the expediency of abandohing it al ping except the must expensive. It was from that together, as a measure inconsteet ' with those princi. improvidence, therefore, that they now resisted the ples of national advantage which it was our duty to Bill, and sought an indemnity at the expence of the : uphold. East India Company. The number of ship-wrights ' Lord BINNING maintained, that ships beilt in was stated at about 4000, but as they were chiefly India were entitled, by the navigation laws, to be employed in repairs, nearly four-fifths of their trade received and registered in She ports of this coontzy. would remain, if they had neither the Covernmeut Though he did not thiuk that oak timber was so nor the East India Company ; and, therefore, it could scarce as some represented, yet from all the reports not be said, that their ruin would be effected by the made on the subject at different periods, it was clear introduction of the Bill. The East India Company • that there was a necessity for husbanding our ree had at present 30 ships, which must shortly be replaced sources. The benefit - of the new Charter would not in some way br other, and no doubt could be be obtained If the House did eat agree to pass tat entertained that a proportion of them would be Bill. built in this country. From many circumstances indeed, they could be built much citeaper here than in India. In some parts there was a difficulty in! al procuring wood, and a sufficient number of ship- I Mr. MARRYAT thought that - if the case stO wriglits could not be found ; and it was not to be quired it, they might import timber, but not ships.... supposed, that a trade which an Englishman was not the manufactured article. seven years in learning, could be acquired by an In.. The House then divided on the question of going dian in one year. It had been urged, that no ad. into Committee. The numbers were— vantages would accrue to this country, from build-, The House having resolved into the Committee, ing ships in India; but the very reverse was the some conversation took place. The House resumed, truth, as one third of the materials must be sent from the Report was received, and ordered to be further Etigland. In India, they had never been able to considered on Thursday. The Bill was ordered tail make iron applicable to the purposes of ship build- be printed. ing; they had no copper at all; and in regard to I The other Orders weredisposed of l and the llosom canvas, Mr. Horner had said, that he would not adjourned. softer a ship to come round the Cape without English 1 sails. In 1801, Lord Wellesley had expressed an i opinion, that we should derive very considerable ad vantages from ludia-built shipping, and it was per- I I fectly clear, that if we would avail ourselves of ! A famous dny's play of pugilisni took plate yetter4 Ithose advantages, we should make this country the day at bloulsey Hurst, before a numerous assem. ,„oniversal emporium of trade. It was much to be binge of amateurs. 'file great match was between wished that there was a practical - security for oak in Scroggins, the sailor, who had distinguished himself this country, but it had been proved in evidence that on a different element, and Nostrotlhp, the baker, not otte•fourth part was grown in it which was reeoi- who wns thought terrible from his having won with site for the Navy alone. Vesicles, the price of oak. Dutch Sam, about which event so mach-dispute has was four times as much as. it was `0 years ago, aut. existed. It was a sporting fight, at even betting, withstanding the facility of ittlausl navigation. but Scroggins had be turn.. Belcher and Gibbons Mr. MA ititYAT said Bill was Oleo. seconded Scroggins, and Cribb and Clark officiated listed to give support to the people in. tie East Indies for Nosworthy. 4 • at the expense of the most important interests of the Round 1. Scieotihe sparring at judging distance . SCrOigins ship-builders of this country , the encouragement of s n l i r e t rally l ;o n llos inted wa a rn hi a t im: l4 l l ei c t h thi was r arned s e ito nr'Colla whom was most essential to the support of the navy. ~,,,„, down. is„wortily ender, who produced place,rst blood from i He could not see the reason why they should be in- the nose and mouth.-5 and 5t04 on Scroggias. dulged with so g reat a preference in comparison of and ‘!,)i;) iv e e o rt f h t o h r e n bes on t ( Coo li n t atT l Vl sn niece " Wes t svor w tl i ir gamed; ; what was enjoye d by our colonial possessions, which hit, turd a tremendous tidly followed, which showed to the `were bound to take our manufactures at our own spectators which wsts tfiebest imfighter. llotb into frequentiy hit each other away t kadreturoed with teat antive courage to ; price, and to send us exciosively in return their raw offensive °penalises. ; Straggles proved himself tbe best; I material. In the East Indies they were exempt from fi g hter and the hest puni s her. nod he bit Noswmbitfiiiit i all these restrictions. Their country was open to the last, deriding blood add the down. .s• ! S. This was as obstinately a euntested round as the kid.. Bs& flags of different nations, and they had a right to buy men were on their mettle, but the hitting of .4:rogiias was ter as cheap as they could, and to sell their commodities rific. A most courageous rally again took place, kod 'Nes tor the very highest price they could obtaid for them ; worthy blondr ie thy rcved a dreadful right-handed hit under thaw , Mm tha, berm w ‘ flowed copiously inwardly, and he was agate and as they were not subjected to colonial restric- knocked down.— to lun Scroggins. tions, they were entitled to more than colonial privi- 4. Scroggins having got his man under, exercised is pee link talent wit!' mark adroituess. He hit him in avalty to an leges. The price of oak was not more than .it had parts „ t • the ring. Seaworthy was returnable with tough cau -1 i 5 in S cropins. been sixty years ago, and the use of t t was greatly rage, hut he was here beat, and never recovered biamelf.-4 to diminished ; of course the demand for it must be less, S oggi•ns availing himself of the weakness for it was well known that the supply of every cum- or his In t ve i rsa s rou ndry, not o nly cr out-fought him, but he showed himself modity is in proportion to the demand. It was a most decidedly the best fighter, and Nosworthy only stood JO matter of fait well ascot taireed, that in various parts rze t iv s e h t e hg e it ei s of his adversary, who broke away, bit in, and of this kingdom there were extensive plantations of • It would be uninteresting to pursue this fight fur her in de. oak, which had been set on foot within the last 20 tail. Nosworthy was knocked down at setting to in the sixth rental In the seventh he made his last, but unsuccessful effort s i years, and if the Legislature showed a strong incli- although he planted a good right-handed bit uposi his opponent's nation to encourage any measure that tended to de. eve-lid. In the eighth round, Nosworthy was agaia knocked predate its value, the proprietors of these oaks would . (awn, and he bad no chance after bat at unable to c am e the bead stop. lie was to time after the 15th r ound , and his head suss be apt to grub them up and destroy them ; and ifnever auto( chancery from the first round. The battle lasted ld after that, by the loss of India (which - the Right Ho- ' minutes. . 1 Sim, he %VA always considered by the best j• , dges of fighting as probable), you should be thrown back on your own • a second-rater of ordinary talent, and iu Ibis combat be showed :it to the ring. He is a resources, you would then fi nd you had impoverishedthorough game i t r, r bio n be is a strange; a.c,te yourselves, and would alone have the blame of so ; t gi tt e er e ,7rl t o l i t o a e a r h a e doing to compensate the misfortune. If this arga- of throwing away his blows to the adsantage of a main like g ti oo isit cl e s n pa ec rrer . , r isod ' has a very onha ls p a py knack meat held good with respect to ships, it applied equal- cr t t i t l g e gins, who c f aabreak and receive him: Scroggins he m pd h a right of the day,and reminds t ateur lylo all articles of manufacture in India, and that ' more of the nl e i xploits i of Hooper, the tekhroted annum, at ie was directly contrary to the spirit of our legislation, fighting, and at other tiniei in springing lilts, like the renuss iii i, .i which had always been directed to the protectiou of I.°liii:477.anieleinis one of oittattlanressluettretelhie"c3otViwntet will g et irl' a it t b: e s our own manufactures against the competition of man, be covered his head with ' his left hand. went in. and get to foreign rivals. The Right Ilon. Gentleman had said his . forte: He is a tremendous hitter, unclean heat any devils there was do danger could arise to this country from ' stone man iu the world. building ships in India, for they could not build ships A second and insist courageous battle was fought beteeen Tom Johnson, of Paddington, and Reza. a there. If that argument wns true, it went directly , against the Bill itself, for it was ridiculous to pass a smith, a pupil of Oliver's. .The former won in half an hour, 'after much good and determined fighting.— Bill for the protection and encouragement of ship_ an received a bit at the close of the battle under building in a country where such a measure was not lower to be effected. But the argument destroyed itself by the i nd left rib, which sent him to sleep. Jo* ping too far, and it was too well known that they • 11 arl a Jones seconded the %rimier, and Oliver . could bald ships, and bad built ships; and further and Painter the loser. ... ... . rdr . going into Committee, Againg it ►Majority kocesT.— - Monday afternoon en Inquest was 'held nt the Jew's Harp, Regent's Park, before G. lioncson, on the .body of Mary Beag!e, who eas found drowned iii the New Cut, Regent's Park. —Verdict, ileeidentalo Drowned. William Barron', alias John Beeson, the man be longing to his Majesty's ship Spartan (now on board the Prince), who, to avoid punishment, had declared himself concerned In the murder of Marr and others, is found to be an impostor, and his statement is alto gether false. There has been a very lave importation of Merino wool from America, as well at France, within th., last month, which has occasioned a great depression in the British market for clothing wool. LONDON Primed sod Pobiiibeil by D. Lovsai.. at ,1" STA T611‘1 , 1 OFTICII ‘ oi, r tert-Street, INSOLVENT DEBTORS' AC?. Mr. H0a141.,1i pre petitions from the Debtors confined in the King's Bench prison, and in the Marshalsea, praying that this Bill might not pass into a law. EAST INDIA SHIPPING. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER having moved the Order of the Day for the House resolving itself into a Committee on this Bill, Mr. Alderman ATKINS rose to oppbae the Speaker's leaving the Chair. lie conceived, that the effect of this Bill would be to transfer ship. building from the River Thames to India. In such ease, what were to become of the great establish ments on the Thames, aunt of the thousands of ship wrights and artisans employed there ? Much the greater proportion of the large ships, formerly built in the River Thames, were intended to he employed in the commerce of India ; but if the Company, be sides their monopoly of the trade to Chine, were permitted to carry on all that trade in India-built ships, he enticeired that the business of ship-beild ing in the Thame:„ and the immense establishments existing for that purpose, would be completely an. nihilated. Since the Company had begun to build • ships in India, the number built in the Thames did not exceed two in a year, whereas it forme r ly ; amounted to seven. Independeet of the other ad ff - vantages of the trade of Ship-building centring in this country, it should be recollected that in very critical times, when the navies of France, Spain, and Holland were coalesced against the country, no less than fourteen large Indiamen, tunny of which were brought into the line, were transferred to the ser- 1 vice of Government. This could never have taken place if the docks for building those ships had then been in India, instead of England. In case of a long peace following the present war, how were the numbers of men now employed at the Dock-yards 1 to find work, if the commercial marine should not 1 be able to find employment for those who were no longer necessary to our military marine Mr. WALLACE conceived that the object of this Bill had been .very generally misunderstood. It was rather extraordinary that the ship-builders, in I their Petition against it, still statid the ill conse quences which would result from India built ships being entitled to all the advantages of a British re gister ; when they had, by their deputies, several conferences with Ministers 'upon the subject, and could not avoid knowing, that one of the objects of this Bill was to prevent the sate of such ships, or their being admitted in the general competition of trade. So far from giving theludia-built ships the full advantage of a British register, this was a re straining Bill, which did not permit them to be em pioyed in any other trade but that of India, and from tudia to-this eoutitry. 'lt bad been said that this BOXING. , , • r -