The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-02-16 00:00:00

u ld he productive of more accommodation, and : ,ets%ir e than could be looked for from any pro posed evension Of the prevent Post Office. Mr. BAILING affirmed, that the Corporation of J A ,„d oo had Irvis influenced by the management of Ministers on this subject, and that the allegation of t he Petitioners was unfounded. The threat of re moving the l'ost-Office to the West send of the tnwu hid, he had reason to believe, the effect of produe. i n! , r chaug,eof determination in the Common Gouts cd, a majority of which resolved to abandon the' smile plat. last year. By this plan the Honourable! Member observed, that from two to three hundred i rr ,o l is were to he deprited of their property in the lichlity of St. Martin'asle-Grand, without any doe retice ; and he saw no reason for exemptingtheCor pot at ion of London from the Standing Orders of the 'louse, which applied to all other private Petitioners.. ; The proposed erection would, he had no doubt, co,t sOO,OOOl. which expellee he felt to be unneces sary, as the present Post-Office could, witk the es. peuditure of about 50,000 E be' rendered fully age.; quate, lie appealed to the House then, whether, wider the present circumstances of the country, the utmost economy being obviously necessary, it would be rise to incur such an extravagant expenditure, especially where no public necessity called for it.— Indeed, those who were most competent to judge of the necessity of such a measure, namely; the leer. chants of London, were notoriously adverse to the plan of the Petitioners, which plan he firmly believed to be the merejob of certain persons who hoped to derive a profit from its adoption. Alderman CUkTIS vindicated the conduct of the C o rporation of London, and maintained• that the improvements proposed by the Betitismers were highly necessary to the pablic• accommodation, al though, were he to consult hie own private conveni ence, he should, from his resideuce in Lombard. street, be disposed to oppose them. _ . Mr. GRENFELL denied that the Merchants of London unanimously disapproved of the proposed removal of the Post-Office, as those residing west ward must rather think that removal desirable; but there wenseother classes of persons whose accommo dation was to be consulted, as well as that of the Merchants of London, and the new plan would materially accommodate all the inhabitants of the west-end of the town, who would receive their letters half an hour sooner in the morning, and beonabled to send off letters half an hour later in the evening.— On these considerations he approved of the project referred to by the Petitioners. Mr. GORDON could not conceive that any such accommodation as that just stated, or indeed.any other accommodation that could be expected froth the proposed plan, could be worth 600,0001. particulirly in the present Oat* of our finances, Mr. PONSONBY entirely concurred in the opi nion of his Hon. Friend, and expressed a wish to know what was the estimated expence of the proposed plan for removing the Post-Office. As to the early delivery of letters, he could not think it right to tat the public for the accommodation of individuals, bet would rather recommend, that Gentlemen wiscs wish ed for an early delivery of their letters, should pay one guinea a-year, which he himself was in the habit of doing. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not regard this as the proper stage for entering into any consideration of the expence of the measure alluded to ; but he was happy to learn, that while the measure was indispensibly necessary to the publie accotnnsodation. the execution of it would be attend ed with less expence than any other plan suggested, certainly with less than the plan proposed for en larging the present Post-Office, which could not be rendered sufficiently commodious by any practicable enlargement. Mr. H. SUMNER spoke strongly against the pro. posed measure alluded to in the Petition, which he expressed his resolution to oppose, alleging that the houses which must be purchased in the vicinity of St. Martin's.le.Grand, before the building of the New Post-Office could commence, would cost above 350,0001. while the purchases uccrs:;a,y hi the vicinity of the present Post-Office, with a• %letc to the arte. ewe enlargement of that building, would not iris, more than 70,0001. The Hon. Member animadvert. ed upon the origin and application of the Orphans' Fund, maintaining that greet abase was allowed I n Parliament to p►evail on dui' subject; all the inhabit. antsin and near London,who had coals from-that part, being, in fact, compelled to pay a tax, in order to discharge the interest of II debt originally due by th , Ci , v of London, as appeared from the Act of sth of William W. Air. Alderman gIIAW , warmly replied to the lest spralscr, vindicating the conduct of tbeCorporation of London with respect to the Orphans' Fund, and stating that that Corpeiatiots had agreed to pay out of its futhls onr-third of the expellee to be incurred in purchasing the trite of the new. Post-Office, with a view to erect a new and commodious street to the great Ninth road, by the eniaigement of St. Mar tin's-le-Grand. Mr. 11. SUMNER. frequently explained, as did Mr. Alderman SHAW, who admitted that the ad vanc. to be made by the Corporation of Lendon was to be out of the Orphans' Fund, which Mr. Simmer contended not to be the legitimate property of the City of London. Mr. I3ANKES wished it to be understood, that im voting for the motion he should not hold himself Vedged to support the measure iii contemplation, respecting a mew Post-o%re, fur while he wished for every neeemary accommodation on this subject, he must be anxious to have that accommodation furnished as cheaply as possible; and his impression was, that the accommodation required, might be had et less ex pence by enlargiug the present rest-Office.—The Rouse then divided. For the Motion 71—Against it 24—Majority 47. The Petition was then presected by Mr. %trig' Leigh, and upon the motion of Sir W. Curtis, was ordered to be referred to a Committee. Mr. BANK ES enquired whether the plans and 'estimates for removing and rebuilding the Post-Office were made out. if they were bethought they ought I , be laid before the Committee, so that they might be erothled to make their Report as folly, end whit as hit tte deter•as possible. He should therefoos make a motion to that effect, If there was no objection to it. The URA NCELLOR old* EXCHEQUER said, I'H STATAWM* • Vl•inf he apprehended it would. require same. time befores whiCh*4 4 been Predemd 11 Pien Atiol:PeW/C.:0 11 00 1 / 4 • they could be pmrbuced. ei be.fitut fay from ceneiderieg the carerpitelliee a ► Mr. PONSONBY wished, not only that the plans one of 'such urgency as had Bea retinthettilei; he and estimates for removing,the Pint. Office should be should oppose it in every had, but also an estimlie of the practicability and what were the measures.inteltdedi tioletebtought(fors expense of . making such addition,' to the present ward. The lion, Member conatudkd by moving for Post-Office as would'reuder it:fit for the public bust. a retotn of the price of the qoartern ltud.of wheaten loess. . bresql, as rcgplated by.tlie assize of thq clty t of ton- Me. BARING said,. he hoped whenevor thove es. doe, and stliog a tlpt average of each.year, fVom 157 r finite's were produced, that they would t,v made out to 1811. by the Surveyor-General, and nut the kcal Surveyor The CIfANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER: of the Post-Office. A very general opinion said there would not be the slightest objection to the! ed that' that individual was at the bottom of the production of the accounts moved for by the. Hon, whole job; and - it was certain that a near relative of Gent. They were extremely proper, but. he was Lis had a great interest in the property that was afraid,.from the extensive period they embracied i , likely to be affected by the projected improvements. that it , t_rpa i ld . be some time before they couldhe made No survey. therefore made by that of fi cer would'ke out. Wilh respect to the complaint' :nide by the satisfactory to him. lion. Girt of delaying the financial! question, AFFAIRS'OrTfit RANK. thought three would be more came fors ceasplaint.if.e , Mr. PONSONBY rose to request a Noble Friend, measure of suchimportance had boartssibenitted. at of his behind him,. to postpone a motion which stots4L . , shorter notice. The public mind would necemarilk for to-morrow, for a Committee to enqpire into•the be excited by the nature of the transaction. With Affairs of the Bank ; because, as the Chancellor of regard to postponing it, he thought' it becstne-hiM to the Exchequer intended to pe r severe in bringing in !do so from the general expectation throughout the. his Bill to continue the restriction of castf - paymentk ' country that the state of the Corn Laws would be by the Bank, which also stood. for to-murrtow, eirrlyitroughst before Parliament. As to the meetin apprehended it would be more convenient thartbeel *Wick had been-held at Lord Liverpool'. house, the Houle . should . consider that questionsimily). Beni Gent, must surely,koow that it was the. prac- Lord A. HAMILTON said, that he had. not the i tice, on greet and impprtantqaestions, for Gentle least objection or reluctance to acquiesce in the wish., men) selected from all,' parties, to meet and explain expressed by his Weft Rionourable Friend. But] their sentiments mataally,lbefere proposiugmsty plan there seemed some difficulty as to fixing a day when to Piltßitnent. %oche pisctioe was.greatly conducive. he could bring . it forward. Friday was occupied . to'the comrenience. of. Parliament itself. That any with the Cern Laws, and Monday with the Fineries degree of speculation. slsoold.have been excited or question. Ile would willingly postpone it till t0.m0r..; encouraged, by what. had fallen from him, he ex row es'onight if he were sati.fted• that the Bill in.! trowel/ regretted : bat itwas impossible fur him, or tended to be introduced, would not be hurried to its any man in his situation, to avoid such consequences; close before that day. and the lion. Member had done him the justice ta i The CHAIIICELLOR of the EXCHEQUER believe that it arose from no improper disclosures- , said, that' he felt no disp o siti on t o posh the m ea s u re made by himself. Indeed; from she very nature 0% with ma mach celerity,. as seemed to be anticipated the speculations, it. was a proof that the public wets,: by the Noble Lord. The blanks, however, mitt*. much. at a less to lessow. what he meant to propose. I he filled up before the time. proposed. by the Noble! Mr. TIERNEY said; he thought th'e Right. Bon. Lord. I . Ceastleman might have stated whether Lis object' was To-morrow se'nnight was accordingly, fixed by to propose such a taxation as would be a substitute Lord A. Hamilton. ; fbr the fourteen millions that bad•been raised-by the• The CHANCBTAOR, of the EXtILEQUER Inteperty Tax ; because, if not so supplied, it w . ould• postposeel his motion rolatirikto the South Sea Cosi. throw a great burden upon the money market in the pony till Monday. i shape of a loan. Thus much he was certainly of EMBASSY TCY LISBON. !Opinion the Right Honourable Gentleman might have Mr. WHITBREAD' react» enquire, whether the t safely commusricated: With respect to the meetings Right lionoumble Genttenvie had' ascertained the at Lord Liverpool's, he thought them very unusual; accuracy, or otherwise, of the rumour he (Mr. and be objected to a Minister of this country assem. Whitbread) . had alluded to on a former day ; and bfl.g a 'somber of the leading. Members of Podia. whether there was any Intention of sending out a, Se. sent at his house, asking them their intentions, and cretary of Legation to Lisbon, as well as a Secretary how they intended to vote if such and such measures of gmbassy ? I were proposed. It was a sort of rehearsal of which The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER he did not quite approve. There was another reason said, that' when the Honourable Gentleman first why he though: some delay In the corn question ad asked Mr questions upon this subject, he thooght that visable. They had before them the Reports of both he certainly had discovered some new and unusual Houses of Parliament • but it appeared from the Re appointment that war in agitation. Upon enquiry,' port of the House o f Lords that they were not however, he could now state, that no new app. , iat. likely to come to any decision this year: in fact, the ment was contemplated. A Secretary of Embassy; whole of their Report only showed that they could wa's attached to that Embassy, as was the case in all ,do nothing till they knew more. lie had heard it others : if the individual who now held it returned, • rumoured, indeed, that they wer , now of another which he did not know he had any • intention of opinion ; but with that rumour. even if correct, be doing, he would certaiuly be replaced by some had nothing to do. lie should conclude by mfr. other. Ipleasing iliklignlnit hope that the Ciaticelior of t4v Exchequer House what EN ellis“ Lord A. HAMILTON presented a Petition free the County of Renfrew against the Property Tax. Sir S. ROMILLY presented s Petition from the Magistrates and Freeholders. of the County of Ayr, praying to have the benefit of Trial by Jory extended to them. A Petition from Bernlck.upon-Tweed was pre sented against the Property Tax. The Bleaching Powder , Bill was read a second time, after a few remarks from Mr. Brown, Mr. D.Gisidy, Mr. Ponsonby, Mr. W. Smith, ■nd Mr. Finley...- Ordered to be committed to-morrow; / would Wert' the waw to itetri *chitty ? Mr. SWANN rose to more that the Order of the day should be proceeded in. Mr. TIiiRNEY said, he merely wished for an answer to his question. Mr. HORNER. observed, that he did not think it regular for . a Member to interpose thus in a con versation that was grounded Wp - on the paper in the Speaker's hands. He, for one, certainly did feel snxinuslo know what was the intention of the Right Honourable( Gentleman (Mr. Robinson) ea Friday : coax LAWn. Mr. BARING rose to move for **return of the •Ps ice of Bread during a certain number of years, .which be considered as a necessary document in• the enquiry they were about tn institute. He regretted, indeed; that the enquiry was to be brought on so ac Friday, ou which day, agile understood, a Right lion. Gentleman intended to propose a series of liecolutions for• the adoption of the Committee, .upon a subject the most important to the vital in torests of the country. lie was certainly of opinion that more time ought to be allowed for individuals to heake up their minds. He had heard, indeed, of a -sort.' of Legislative Committee that met at Lord Li 'verpool's house, to determine upon the measure that 'was afterwards to be proposed. He did not mean to censure that meeting, hut it seemed to him to be a seery unusual proceeding. Upon a question, how ever, of so great importance, and with petitions from every city and borough in the kingdom respecting he certainly thought that Howse ought to know what it was Government intended to. propose (for a measure of Government he now understood it to be), before they were called upon to vote.— If it watt merely intended to propose certain Re solutions to the. Committee, and then ask leave to sit again, he should feel less objection to the - measure. The Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer had postponed his motion upon Finance, to make room for the Corn question, be. cause of its urgency ; but hefMr. BJ) could not see that urgency at the preses►t. moment, as the ports were already shut against further importation till the month of May, by the operation of the Act now in force. On the other hand, the Plinio) measures of the Right Hon. Gentleman, which had been post poned, were of real urgency, because vague declara tions upon the subject had be scattered among the people, and were producing the most injurious eitects. It was not known whether it was intended to touch the Sinking Fund, to triple the Assessed Taxes, or by what other means to meet the difficulties of the country. The state of doubt . and uncertainty was most prejudicial to the public credit, and to menq transactions throughout the kingdom. The rotas had been depreciated ever since the Intimation given by the Right lion. Gentleman, and epeestatioles iq them had been carried on to a great extent. Heald net mean to say that the Chancellor of the Bache. quer had made ant tended plan; betthose, bap., Notwithstanding lice... Fledge of it: He J delay had4ekon Tim whether he should take the sense of the House on that evening, or only propose certain resolutions for consideration afterwards ? Mr. SWXNN'rose to order. The SITAKeR seki, the House was certainly proceeding in the other Orders of the Huy; but 'he Honourable Gentleman havistg a motion for papers, there was certainly no irregularity in the proceeding, though he could easily conceive that the discussion had gone further than was at first intended by the [lmmutable Member who madelhe motion. Mr. HORNER resumed his observations; and contended that in all great questions it had been the .practice to communicate some information before calling upon the House to vote; instead of which, a sort of Lords of Articles had been sitting in White hall-yard, to determine upon what should be brought forward, and in making a compromise of opinions. He certainly did consider that such a proceeding had it tendency to fetter the freedom of opinion in that .Honse. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that where a string of complicated Resolutions was about to be submitted, it was usual to have them printed previously ; bet where a , measure was •so short and simple as immediately to meet the ap probation of every Member, lie did not see the same grounds far such a proceeding. We, the [testily. tions were befOre the Committee, they would ba able to judge whether any further delay was neces sary. Mr. LOCKHART conteadml, that the present state of the agricultural interest' in the country de manded aught:mediate ottani* or the Legislature. Mr. OARING thought It mttremely indecent to wards the Legislature, that a preposition was to be made to Them, on which they• *ere to be called to pronounce without besitattolv, which same proposi tion had requited great discussion, and had occasion ed repeated divisions its a body previously Resembled out of doom to deliberate oa the subject. In his opinion, this was a fit occasion for Parliamentary jealousy. The motion was then agreed to. lIELSTONV. ELEttION Mr. SWANN moved the second• reading of the Release Moeda, all: Mr. a Gunn said; his ausaldlot takp the sense Of-14. Ifeeue oa the prlockdo of the Bill, although he thought it had kuttor be dropped: if the lionouraele and Letitia' we postpone ' shala among, which would be the Otnisiioti s thi epiellet " corrupt," in the'preaMble Of the 1111 . (ilVtirregti: larity, not having, been 6 01 0 in (ha • clause" by which the atrporition *ere dfiteittfiti of the right of roting,.l4. SWAYI4T would not a r 4to the* ; Iti Cti proceeding on the (VI; which had tbueeti' amply considered, baying twice goni• thee 11ouse; although it had not in eithercifettielietttliti 'concurrence of the HOuie of Lon* : The Bill was then read a secontrtlete, end oitlitega J to .be committed on diet' day 'irt 1 g h t at lid Mk printett.—Adjoui-necil . k CORN L 40 . 15: - COlfiend . 111111 t METING. ' A very'netnerbas fad highly respectable Meeting ottite.principttliandLowaers aNdocconlers was hold' at Maiditone on Monday, in otaisetitsence of a-Rata cpilsition presented. to James Wildtuan, i lq, the High Slieriir, in order to biletiete ttentideretfen ttl present distressed'itittrof the , egribeittord interesteto and twadopt such Ittt.atures at;telthebil. deemed eft' ,pedient. for their relieft • . Waggons' were &swivels, is it'cbirtemery Alt oettr;J sions or a County Meeting, its tbw /I%h:street, antt! at about half-past' twelve a large concourse of people ' of every chilli being collected, the HighSitetilif Oita' the btfilleeiii. of the meeting, by reading the requiSi;. don Which.had been presented to him, the object of wbir c b t he added; was of imperious tattetenti in'Whick they . were all interested, and he tVirstfe therefore they would hear what' waddle submitted - tit theta' with patience and 'attention. ' The Earl of DARNLEY then proceeded to speak„ but the noise and uproar of the populace wholly' prevented his being heard. . Sir EDW Aan KNATCIIBULL then endeavored its procure silence, and stated that the ilettuisitista Was, acted for the purpose, of hearing a fnii ' Ile knee, no more what was intended' to be pt (pose d to the meeting than they did ; but as Englishmen, and . as Men of Kent, they should g ive; fair hearing to what was urged on eithet . side.--[Hear, hear!] The Karl oT Daanier, after.' some . consideratde - interruption, said, " notwithstandlisg the temper ' which I am' sorry to see prevails, a new texeper ter Englishmen, to condemn unheard ' , r explain to this meeting the motives which ladabed met to prefiz my name to a requisition presented and ik" equalled, Emily say, ,in point of respectability, by any' requisition ever presented by any gentleman. Tile only objection that occurred to me was, that it was addressed particularly to the Owners and Occu.. piers of Land. Unless I can prove satisfactorily that the object of this meeting is to make the neces sary subsistence of life cheap and riot dear, I do not desire to he heard; but before you cond^m, yen ought to listen with patience to those arguments by . which I intend to prove that this Meeting has fur its object the benefit of all, and particularly of the: poor. If I did not think so, however qty private interests may be concerned, I would not state them to a Meeting, the object of which was the raising that price of bread.—l feel this, and I feel it with coafi.„. doom, because I am coital of the fact, that ttfei ~.Meeliog was not for suck base purports. Tiselity':P-- -- • 1; station of corn will be felt more by the poorer"... Iclass f the community, than . by the holders of land. • I wi". Lein then with that set of persons around— the laboui , g class: if they had by their exertions produced so large a supply of corn, if they wort `reduced to distress, how are the expences of theif labours to be paid ? I will ask"—[/here the noise by the populace was so ertid as to render it impossi. ble for the Noble Earl to proceed.] Sir EDW. KNATCHBULL said, he was in hopes that the Meeting would have kept to their promise, and love allowed the Noble Lord to proceed. .He had already stated, and he would state it now again, that he was perfectly unacquainted with what was intend. ed to be proposed. They should be quietly heard, and afterwards it would be for those who agreed to to them to sign or not, just as their opinions went. The uproar still continued, and the High Sheriff perceiving that it was impossible to procure silence, declared, the Meeting adjourned, but it wall with much difficulty that Sir Edw. Knatchbull wettable to pass, from the uproar and turbulence of many of the multitude. In consequence of these disorderly proceedings, the High Sheriff, with the County Members, and a number of the principal Gentlemen and Farmers, amounting to upwards of a hundred, adjourned tp the Bell Inn, where Sir John C. Hony wood, Bart. having been called to the Chair, , Earl DARNLEY, in a very clear and convincing Speech, proposed several Resolutions, which wets passed unanimously, all persons of all parties ex pressing their approbation of them. After the adjournment to the Bell Inn, those of the populace, consisting principally of Manufacturers from the neighbouring mills, and who Wire the most clamorous in preventing the meeting from being holden;iu the High.street, drew one of the waggons which had been placed there for the use of the Sheriff, to the bridge, and threw it over into the river. SOUTHWARK ELECTION. -4•-- FOURTH DAY. In the early part of the forenoon of yesterday, the Committee of Mr. J. Burdett's friends again at. tempted to establish the right of farmed totes, which was resisted, as it had previously been, by the High Bailiff, who declared they were illegal, and ►efused to received them. &conversation then took place between Mr. Wood (then brother if .Akleraran Wood) anti the High Bailiff, Felative to tke presence of a military force is W . / Stough, during the Election. The Moil BAtiair Stated, that he had, to per. .nuance 'of Orders from - the Secretary of State, given directions for the, removal of this military fro' the Borough, but that, subsequently, part of the 13th Regiment which 1141 returned from Spain, having re. ceived its route, whilit glittered on the coast for Cla ;mbericell, Lar wccidente rried on te a great extent. Redid I Mr. M. tildJUg ease, ji. waimi apt pag.p me sense tunpment wnicti n r , reWITILL trom opal% naming re. t h at the ChanceUor o f the H u bs. let.* ' ogee oe *la prJeci;tle of the Bilt, although he ceived its route, whiiit qtnitteted'on the coast, ler ly improper disclosarer of Ids ie.: thoogitt it bad too bolter be dropped; bat il the Clapham, eireberyell, Lambeth, a Ind the adja c ent' j hose e m pl o yed ott der him might, per-' lionoripable and 'tbed Gentlerean•woeld net con.' vilcuees had rccidentally arrived in the B oroug h, Ming all Ma caution, obtain some I sent to postpone the farther proceeding upon it, mad' Whilst the Election wasitt progress, unknow n t e the Heilipetted, there fore, that alllSu the s hetat n os h t h e c o te e dttee, began notice Government, and contrary to its inten t io ns an d di. place ) to-toceiint ti the Wien* that *. Weald thllo propose *liana alterations ; rzctions. Immediately lie heard ut the circumstance ) :- it . . ..0- I , `' . ,•, . 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