The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1821-03-22 00:00:00

4 1 1 ~: abet bad questioned the accuracy of a statement tuade by him in* a forayer evening, of the smallness of the amount of the rates paid by the applicants fur this Bill, compared with the amount paid by the whole parish. He had since made par ticular inquiry into the subject, and found that the amount of the rates paid by the parties to this Bill was 3,7421., and the -hole ansnunt of rates paid in the parish was 84,5001. Me. F:LLIS said, the uuly question at present for their consideration wee, whether the atanding orders had beets complied with? He contended that they had; for as to the 'word , Mcrae/dig, inserted in. the 444 metier, if 'diet .were lleTt oat the notice would be Gina to be a fair espy of the former pollees; and he contended, that, as lung as the sue,. ceedingautices contained every: 4 7l , HW was contained in ha t Castle*, they were ernlte .-(l.4aigkter insevisso was mere aurplusige, cull it could not be con trailed that the standing orders were nut corep!ied with, whet) all the notice whish obey enjoined had been given, and something, further. had been added, of which they were nut required to fire notice. • Sir I. N sweorti• amid, the 'lending order* rquired that Klein/se uetict a shell he ivaertrd in the Newspaper s affi xe d op the (:beret, and put on the Session-house dome.— (gear, hear)—Now be begird to call the attention of the House fp the fief, that the notices did not correspond with tub other, but the List notice on the chute-11.door, costs talus a statement that rite Bill le fur increasing the rates; which the other notices did lint express. This variance, he contended, rendered the lest notice a mire nullity. Mr. PRICE supported the motion, and was proceeding' to emir %Me observations Oil the merits of the Bill, whets Mr:REN NETT rose to order. The SPE:AKER said, the Report now under consideration tetssi'mcrely upon the compliaate with the standing order., nod p it touching at all.upon the merits of the Bill, he must iistP!'sire thS• Attune, in dealing with the Report, to confine , its attention entirely to tie .subject of the standing orders att.l to steer clear of the nseri-s of the Bill. Me. PRICE resumed, and contended that it would be a great hardship swim the applicants for this Bill, if the llonse,Pll seld decide that the mere addition of what seas in Pseif slonecesserv, vitiated the notice.—(Cries of Quer fiat ! 7:let/ion!" Slr.l". %Y. IYYNN said, That if the Rill contained any thing of which uotiee had not been given, both io Ike News implies ssd on the doors of the ChArch and Session-home', limo the otijection would stand., but he theroght the Muer siad .4' any thin: in a notice which was not contained la the Bill, bring mere surplusage, could nut operate is vitiate the mallet. SW W. HE rHPAPICNY said a few words, which the rob* in the House rendered in rndihle in Dee gallery; but we .11.1•144111.1 him to lie opposed to the motion., Mr. C. W. WYNN said, if Ilse word " increasing" were neeeedry to rover any - part of the Bill, then the notices in: which' it was omitted; would be defectise s but if it were. nut nreessnity, it appeared to him nut at all to affect the au sicelis 'Melt it might he interred. The SPEIE ER said the question was, whether a vari ance in the optic's, by the' insertion of what amounted to mint sueplusagc, MINCI6IIt ell Villa!! a notice. Its hie opinicire it watt not Dist as . it 'was a question the decision of ultiets wsonfd ;Reid?' Ant only the present, but all route /manic Rah, he titemeht it 'nap s St subject fur reference to a Soh el Commit,ire,a bieh after .reading first the 'lauding ..AllllO4lll thin 'the . ontieei giveii in this case, would lc. port how (Jr much notices were in be considered as conform able , to the standing orders. If they were to be considered al raflkiive, it was high time it should he known, fur there he'd beau an innumerable Hombre of uutices since he lead the becenr of filling the chair, in which such variations bad eteinticd. - tste lf. WORTI.F.I . thtitight that the Mending orders lisd (:ern complied . with, ppd. therefuce Ilse Bill ought nut to have been (+jetted to by thi Cowhide*. ABERCROWEY moved t h at the Report of •the Committee lie referred to a Select ComMittee, to consider of the construetiuss of the standing orders by Ilse Committee sop the Bill, and report their opinion thereon to the House. Mi. 11. SUMNER withdrew Lis motion in Lynne of the amendment. The Committee was appointed. IRISH COURTS. •sllltr.. ELLIS ',relented Petitibtos from certain persona holalrg offices in the Irish Covets, about to be reduced by the new regulati tttt s, praying fur compensation. Mr. M. A. TAYLOR objected to all such compensations. 81r /. NEWPORT said, that if the Commissioners had not recommended compensation, that would be suffieitnt reason with him for opposing it. The CHANCELLOIt of the EXCHEQUER and Mr. W. SMITH said a few aortic The Petitions *ire ordered to be printed. • Sur J. NEW poirr was for having the Petitions referred to the eimeiduation of • CoMmittee up stairs, to report their %pillion of these claims to the Ileum. Mr. ELLIS had inp objection to it, if any lion. Gentleman chose tq make suds a motion. •• WitCHASES.OF SILVER FOR THE MINT. Mr. CHEN FELL wished to silt a nutrition reapectisig the perrhaves tlf-silver for the use of the 'Mint since 1816. It appeared that all the pnrcharei made duce that year doyen M 1820 were made at the roarlittpriee•uf edam But some pars-Wiles which were made ha 1810_ had beta paid fur by Government at the rate of Ss. 2d. pi r ounce, the !nuke( price al that time hieing Only 4.. 11,9. He wished to kubw who were, the 'pectic* who had furnished these very dear splipties, Te..ca•NcELtoß of the EXCHEQUER said, that be . woold take another opportunity of expidining the va rious Tirmankslffillrestdo which the quell ion of the Hun. Gen. tleatan.lyastsseiftressee; at present he would-only answer, . that the Dank had supplied Government with the quantity 'uticular!? •lluded to by Hie Woo. Gentleman, having its the preqedimplear taken a costoidesable eplantity of silver off she hands of Government at 55.21. atilt a stipulation that, whatever *Over Government akeuld want in 'he coarse of the isSufeeding year, should be taken from the Bank at the same 1 1 11.c.GREN FELL said, that the affair appeared to him of Po suspicious a nature, that be 11 , 06, 1 d shortly mute for pit. p.rs explanatory of this reftarkahlit negotiation. ADJOVENED DEBATE ON THE INVCRARY • PETITION. Mr. HUME moved the Order of the Day for resuming the adjournedriebale. • Mr. (1) eitTIMA ob,iscled to this subject being taken op at pireveid. . . Mr. IFfUVE able;' Nay deem a few minutes. AII EINICHOMUY that if fie contents of the lowittion * l ire true; it Hite ft else House to look ate tfiesobjeet. liellibuglk that thekeesien ought nut in eloge Without bringing in a Bill to remove the gross abuses of letilthsh Velem - Mr. COU fet EN AT Mottillidoed of the uufsirners of •the Gentlemen orposilt. s stitirTkiig 'sip a discussion, after their aseuratiee that the stitojek w6uTd nut take a minute. The 1.0111) . ADVOCATE; Mr. J. P. GRANT, and Mr. UUSKIDSON, said a few worth each, altd the Petition was ordered to the 'Committee un Scotch Burghs, to report there en in the House. AINERICAN LOYALISTS. Mr. COunTsll•Y rose to call the attention . of the House to the claims of the A ntericno Loyolirts who had strifered in the reveltrtner, for the fulMnient of the; engttgeotrrete and prorKees made to them by Great liiitaiti,'fri'cOmpyisate - whose ver losses they might have sustained to cuharquence of their ad itereeee to. the Crown of Eklund during that m eted. He *net of .11 'loosed their Petition, which had been prevented, to be read, moths's() the Address tif the House of Commons to the Throne jn 1781, pledging • tive. .(Must: to the fultilmesit .of.. the en iketiretits before mentioned. It May 1141illIn111011 to.oreintsin and prove that the 'claim JO - such suf ferers bird not !seers checked:l4 tiny :Phr in coast- Write of etitior" Durinethe'etruggl e s eTAtoStiici the citffereirt •t i regolstoftklound it He rein/7. to sire every mamas -to ! - *licite isresons • postary - aid proper* ter erect. Cite titartdard ibdet4p4eilre, or, qmir it rm. .termed by •b . 'At . comet_ losses they might sustain. Great numbers joined the royal standard. In the peace of 178.4, there were two cl , whose case wait provided for by articles in the Treaty, of a very different chneucter, and they were very differently treated. The loyalists had risited and lost their lion;la and other property, their persons being attainted and• their possessions confiscated by the Legislatores of America.• The other close was that of•commercial people, who wrie engaged in trading with the American States, who were provided for by the fourth • article of the Treaty, which article stipu lated for the payment of all debt, to creditors on either side, and that no impedintents shoold be put in the wet of' their rrcovery by course of law. The fifth article stipulated that persons possessed of. lands, who bed left the Coifed Stales, should be allowed to reins, end during she course of twelve mend's, during which period they would be allowed t , , remain, and endeavour to recover their property if I oeti-tared. Meantime the fullest comecasation lur the losses of the loyalists Was promised by the English Govertimene-..: Lord 'lnas low, then ClumeeNtre, speaking of their claims on one occasion, amid that their fulfilment would certainly take place as a in rater of reason, perhaps of policy, hut certainly of relig ion and virtue. Mr. Townslientl sad the late Ch ie f W eal) nieitonald supported their clainie in dacussions which took place in the Lower House. 'There eta an IlinialiCable Friend of his opposite, al at the wily :Member who was in Posibeniesit at the time, who would, he 'trusted, presently affirm what he had recited, of the'opinions entertained of there claints by the Parliament of that period. By the 23:1 Geurge I l 1. Conimissinnens were appointed to carry ludo effect the engagements of the British Government to these loyalists, to whom all the claims were referred. 'they received the claims or those *hi) bard' lost • land er other property by confiscation, but weuld not re' eise the claims of those who had. Londe or securities ou America, referring them to;the American Legislature, litatlo try for the recovery of such property, according to the 4th at. tide of the Treaty. A case of this kind was tried in America, and the Attortiey. General of the Court wire enabled to notisuit the Plairoilf,. because that, being a refugee and an onetime-el person, he had lost his claim to the debt in - oineNion in common with . the general ecnifiaratibn Of preperty. By the Treaty ol Airily Md . Voinmerce of 17,94, America undertook to make .full .compensatitsii to all Bro. tish creditors„ but mill nits did 'not include the loyalist., • *hp •*.efeV rebels• guff ltfugree to the American thwi lf o o .t, p b t. i luid rg conemeaded the Howie .to cit - itipensate those who had lost lauds and professional advantage, in conse quence of their liens allegiance to the King, and en a tttttt ul vote had been -pissed for that porptoe from . 1797 down to the , present year. 1802 Lord Li verpool stipelitte4, Ind the Amelicatte agreed, to pay over 600,0d0f. to compensate losses which had been incurred -by the English iii the course of the revolutiou, All this limited that lapse of time had set rip no bar to these clitims. From a paper which he held in Matti!, it appeared that all the Tieattes subsequeneto die Peace to 1785 held recognised the priliciple of compensation. %Viten the case was first stibmitted to his coosideration he dirt hope the Government of the country would lrwe turned their attention tb it, and that it would Lot have been tie &Sorry fur such au humble individual as he was to tiring it before the House. He bad, however, as the matter devolved un him, eittleavuored to make as clear a statement us lie could of the hardships of these people.--(Hear, hear, hear./--It was Matter much to be regretted that the country never took one step to fulfil the pledge they bad given.. He should have been glad to have brought the matter before the House in the shape of a Peti tion ; but thellmose must be 'aware that Petitions for a grant of Public enmity could nut be received except by consent ef the Crown. He was therefore under the necessoty of making such a 'Minim as would bring the whole ciise before tile consitleretion of Put !lament. A reporting, gone abroad that the cast had been de cided,but it iievsr had been broughtbefure the consideration of the I louse in any regular sh ipe until that night. If cempetisstion were denied to these men, whet confidetice would any mats place in the Givertitnent ? Must dangerous infelenees might be draws, flout such a refusal. The papers for which he should miser would lay the whole of the transactions before the Ileuse, mid theta they would hare an opportunity of seeing whether the statements lie bad 'nude were correct. Thanking the House for the attentiou they had paid loin, he should conclude Ly mcvisig— " That so humble . Adtlfews be presented to his Majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleaselt- to order to be laid before the Mouse copies Of all the papers and erne. inunicatioes that passed between the British' Gocei 'fluent and those persons tannic ibesuselies r American Loyalists,' from the 4th April, Isl 2, to the present day." DICKINtiON came to ocCond the 'notion, and in doing so lie did not feel it necessary to say lowly words after the clear and a di4actory statement that had beets made. These persons were deter mined to persevere in their claims, fur when they went into the Courts of Americo, they were treated as outlaws, end were told they could get en com pensetion. He lied no knowledge of these parties except from their history. He understood they were persons that had deserted their country and their homes to serve the British Goverinnent its America, and had, therefore, claims upon tie, which, if now denied, would go down to posterity. Mr. We. Sums observed, that if prejudices could he allowed to exist on any side, it should be in favour of those persons, who fled suffered mate rially air consequence of the length of time that had been suffered to elapse without meeting their de- Maude. 'this was use of the greatest hardships they had to complain of. Forty years ago they were mantled to these claims, and the suns would be trebly•iucreosed since ihrt time by interest. Yet this very length of time, whit la is one of their greatest hardships, is made au argument against them. This was a most shocking aggravation of their sufferings. This country has Inca lung in the habit of granting called compensations fur of f ices that are persons who, when they held them, por no duty; yet now we refuse to grew the ipensetion to there persons who nit* just 1. Early in life be was qpposed in politics men ; he was old enonglPto rememhre the i war, and at that time he thought the of these - men almost deserved punishment ; the period he- opposed io them, be could never have wished them half the herd rhips they have since endured.—(Hear, hear.)—. . With respect to their sufferings, he had been him self a witness for some lime, and he would relate an anecdote that would give some idea of then). In a conversation which he had on the subject with an American, alter various remarks, be asked. him hoW his patience lasted so long? to which he repli ed, that there bad been suicides enough amongst — thrum. The tone of voice in which these words were uttered he need not describe.' Mr. WttaEltlOßet observed, that he urelerstood a more particular motion would be laid before the House on the subject, which would bring the mat ter fully before them. Ile would not therefore de tain the. Ilouse thee, but he would exhort the House to bear in mind the sufferings these people had endured, and that they should endeavour to re deem the natiptial character, slid give these persons comproisatiten.—(Heat, hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER raid, that perlisps one of the greatest Hardships to which men t lit office were exposed was, that they were in their official capacity compelled to do acts which, in their private characters they should wi.h to ay.si , l, and never, in the course of his public Itfe, was he called on to perform an act more painful to his pen; vale feeling.. When first the convideration of.the merchant creditor s and th e A mer i can l oya li sts was , brought before the Government, amongst the va rious conansuuications that fell to his lot, he made ouc on this subject, and he, yielding to his feel nog*, was perhaps induced to hold out more en couragemeut than he .was justifier in doing. For that act lie was of course responsible, and lie trusted that at all events it would not affect the American loyalists. The lapse of time that has occurred should he no barrier to their claims; they had never been lost sight of.. From year to year applications had been made on the subject. and it was time now that some end should be put to the matter, and that they should receive compensation if the went should think fit so to decide. They had el ready received a partial compensation, and be thought that his Hon. Friend in demanding a full compensation, had over-argued their case. On the first iiiv.tettgittion it appeared, that the amount of the daunt, including the loyalists and the British creditots, was 1,450,0001.; and the amount of the loyalists was something about 250,0004 A Joint Cututnissioss was appointed to inve.tieate their and the hose fida debts of the 11rstioli cre ditors. His Honourable and Learned Friend had stated, that the claims of these per.otis that had been satellite& by The American States. were op- . posed by the Attorney-Geueral of America. Un lee. he WUt much misinlbrined, this vtatetnent was in correct. By the decieiou of the Coniiiitsionerr, their clairnsWere fully tiseognised. He world not then enter into detail., as he meant to agreeto the motion for presenting the papers. The oil ect he had in view was, to skew why the Ainericae loyalists should not be separated from the-British. subj.ct., and to prevent his Hon. Friend from di awing such a conclusieo. He did not - . know-. • more painful duty than to oppose men who had suffered fur their country, and lie was sure the House participated in. Asese feelings. The Right I lon. Gentleman conit ogee! by stating, that she should agree to .the the production of the papers, but not with the view of holding out any encouragestieut. Dr. PtitLfAsiotte said, that this was one of the greatest cases of justice that ever war brought before the consideration .of Parliament. It ap peared to him that the [tight lion. Gentleman had been led. into some confusion with respect to the rights of the creditor and the loyalist. The loy ghats, as he mitlerstonsl, were persous, who from allegiance and attachment to their Sovereign, left their country and enitssrked in our cause against America, so that this being the case, both the Goverium lit and the Crown were pledged to give them compensation. 111 r. 11,,OCKH..RT rose for the purpose of getting an replan:onto. He agreed in the definition give'. by the lion. and Learned Gentleman that just sat down, of the American loyalists. They had left their country and their homes in the service of the British Government, and elthough pedal's not entitled to full compensation, they were entitled to the fullest the country could afford. Ile would wish the Huns and Leaned Gentleman to explain whether the Americau loyalists ore the persuns he list! described ? Mr. COURTENAY shortly replied, and the Ad dress was agreed to without a divisiuu. MALT TAX. Mr. WFAcrEasi rose to make his motion for the repeal of the additional tax imposed on malt by the Act of 59 Geo. lii. Ile hoped the House would favour him with its attention for a short pe riod to a subject of the greatest importance to the result of his motion, respectieg it vast numbers of persons were hooking with the most anxious im patience. Ile thought he had • ease so strong that the I louse would be induced to repeal the tax, and whether looking to its operation on agriculture, or on the habits and morals of the people, or looking to its effects on the revenue, in all those venous lights lie thought the House would agree with him that mound policy sic well as justice required its repeal. end to reduce the lon, of taxation which pressed upon the agriculturist. The Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Vesssittart) admitted, that in 1816 lie had made out so strong a case, that he was th en induced to lower the duty on malt 161. per quarter. He could not agree with the notion, that a Member proposing the repeal of any particular tax was bound to find a substitute for it ; it was sufficient for him that the one he insight to repeal was injurious to the interests of the cotristty. He did slot desire, even if it were competent to him to do it, to lay on additional taxes iii the place of that which he sought to repeal, for it was one of the objects of his motion to reduce the aggregate amount of the taxation which was now pressing with such aggra vated force upon the people. He was not one of those who desire to shift the burdens of the agri culturist upon other du , sei of the community; he the statement of this cotintry, rebellion against the what are dominion of England. It was the duty of .10se lust, by p who guided; the councils of this kingdom to toll formed no wis i hak t on all who owed ellegianCe t o . thi s 'Gsgiirinsag to . just, comp be true to t llernsace. During the war e ,leh &mends. ~, continual fro • 776 to 2783, the lovlists in- to these in vited by - proclamations, and all'orliertneansWhich American could be used, to support the c4nse of kingly go. conduct o vernment, sod the' were promised - kr-41 these do.. ' bat at th cuments indemnification for whatever losses they he could ite4 coul had no desire to tax the funds, neither was he one of those who desired to assess the public creditoe for the poo l 's rates, c ou ti s iced • as he was that shifting the burden would nut advance the iiste'=" rest's of agriculture. Ile confessed he did desire to -see the poor's* rates reduced; and he thought that i important subject ought to be examined in that House, with a view to its gradual abolition, as he was fully satisfied the rates were as injurious to the lower orders who received, as the oilier classes of the community who paid them. Ile was, therefore, far from wishing to extend that fund, as the COI/se quence would be an incre Ise in the number of the claimants on it, but no diminution of distress. %Vith respect to the measure which lie had the honour to . bring before them, he wished, in the first place, to thaw the attention of the [louse to the enormous extent of taxation pressing upon barley. lie believed the total amount of duties drawn 'from barley, that was, from melt, beer, and spirits, was little short of 10,000,0001. (or this country, and 1,300,0004 for Ireland; but lie meant to cooper hnnsrlf solely to Great Britain.— . OF the above amount, the melt tax wall 28s. per quarter, the beer tax amounted to 32a. Gd. per quarter, making together Gus. per quarterof duty. Oil spirits the duty amounted to the stem•of ten pounds per quarter. The pregrese of the duty on malt was thus:—ln 1780 it was 10..61. per qr.. end so it remained till 1802, when it was raised to 181. Bd. per quarter ; and in the year following it was still further raised to 34.. per quarter. On spirit., the progress of the duty had been similar. In 1791, it was 21. 10s. per quarter; in 1793, 4d. ; and iu 1797, 41. 3.. 4d. ; and so went progressively advancing till it reached the present amount of 10/. per quarter on the barley. exclusive of she Moll Duty. Let the Douse see how this would Openste Upon the laird : 28s. (the duty (111 Milli) was 5/. 12.. per acre, calculating four quit ters of barley to each acre ; 60s. (the ameiiiit of the malt anal beer duty together), was 12/. per acre, calculating the growth per acre in the same manner; and the deity on spiii's atuount ed on that calculstion to 40/. per acre. lie did not pretend to say that all this was paid by the agriculturist, he knew that in a great measure it was b rite by the consumer; but he thought he should beable to spew the way in which it did press, namely, in the reduction of consump tion, and that to a very great exteut. Ile would beg to remark one circumstance, which was tine, that the duty on malt was never 'shied by Mr. Pitt. It was 10.. Gd. in 1780, and Mr. Pitt never could be induced to mile it, except on one occasion, in 1791, when he laid a temporary tax of three peece per quarter upon it, but feeling the irtiL policy of the procedure, he in the year follow iug repealed it. 111 1802 the duty was raischt • to 18s. 8.1. and in the year following to 345. per quarter. lie should tate the two periods and compare them, to chew that the effect hail been to reduce, the consumption. Front the accounts on the •r table it appeared he intended to draw hit stay meets, and lie should take an average of three -pet sods: the first commencing its 1791, and con cluding in 1801 ; the next commencing in 1804, and concluding in 1814 ; and the third an average of the ben four yews. In the first aveinge, coin. mencing at 1791—hi had excluded the year 1800, ss it was a sear of extraordinary scarcity', *froth whioli no Toriclnvions could fairly be aleauced—in that find period England's average annuli curisump tion of malt wa5'27,673,947 bushels. Then came the high duties in 1802 and 1809; and taking an average of the tro yea's, commencing with 1804, the consumption would he found to be reduced to ' 23,450,628 bushels. The average consumption of the lour years following I'Bo4, was 22,636,091 builiels, making a diminution. of consumption fur Blighted only of needy •five millions bushels. The average for 1791 gave for Scotland a consumption of 1,875,344 . bushels, amid in 1804e1t was reduced to 1,031,736 bushels; being a ( 1 1060%16 01 i of (wee half. In Ifeltalal the reduction wise sill larger; in 1791 it was 4,855,558 bnslie/s;:hia 1304 it was 9.981,024 bushels; and its 1818 it was re duerett. 1,707.336 buslislii• This was a great positive reduction; bet •he had a right to cal eidate upon the .incieited -population of two millio n s inner 1791, whiter would consume, un der moderate. 5,534,789 bushels; adding that to the actual deficit of the average consump tion of 1791. as compared seitl4 1818, it would amount to 14,574,265 bushel., or 1,82t,785 quar ters of melt. fie thought it clearly Wearer,' there was an actual reduction of consumption since 1791 to that amount, and lie was persuaded that the amount of a instigated duty on that 1,831,785 quarters, would have left very li.tle deficiency to supply for that duty, which he wished to be taken off. The relief which the additiosial mar ket would give to egriculima must be very important. Ile considered that taxes on con sumption were the most eligible. A illiect tax acted like a herometer, and sheered by reduced consumption when a tax had been carried to an injuriods extent. Ile had shewn the effect nu average of years ; but look to each suc cessive year, and the statement would be fully cor roborated. In 1803, under the operation of the high duties, the consumption decreased 31,700 quarters; in 1804, '22,421 quarters; iu 1805, 24,300 quarters; in 1806, 27,400 quarters; in 1807,24,800 quarters ; in 1808, 22,400 quarters. • In Scotland a similar decrease appeared ; so that whether an aver age of years were taken, or each successive year, the etfect was the same; and could awe other result. have been Expected ? The consequence of decreased consumption was that barley was down in price as low as 245. per quarter. Another circutn stance which would strew the pressure ssf taxation on barley was, that it did not bear in the market its proportional value to wheat ; that proportion was this—barley one-half the price 'of wheat : but by the hat returns wheat was at 54s.per quarter, and bar ley was at 245. per quarter. Exclusive of the pres sure of taxation, there were other causes press ing down the price of barley, one of which was the insuf f icient protection given to agriculture by the Act passed in 1815, wlikh certainly did not give . tlist degree of protection which the Legisla ture intended. It was intended to give a protec tion up to 80s. per quarter, and when the price exceeded 80s. they would then have recourse to fo reign produce. But the influx of foreign corn, when the price exceeded 80s. was so great us to give rise to ruinous arid continual fluctuations of . price. Between 1817 and 1819 the ports were ()nee AO, and yet 2,600,600 guiders of foreign wheat were imported. The growth of Ireland had also so increased, that four bemired thouseriel quarters of wheat were imported from thence last I . year, and a considerable quantity remained in her granaries. He wiseed that something should be devised to restrict the superabundant supply from (tartlet) countries, - end-bring it within threateners!, of the Legislature. He thought some benefiriul alterations might be suede in the Act of 1815, without trenching ups* the reverie of then' AEC iii ow it 'regarded at restraint on the impartation of barley and oats. The Ho ituurable el/ither then le:ferret! to the foreigu market prices of core, end argued on. the ebsettee impossibility of the Bettseel:rimer baisig able le compete with the foreign grower. As .to looking on the notion of a free teens in cotu as shy thing but a theory, was, he conceived, an . obserdity, and they might as well telk•of the abstract rights 00 man as of the absteact principle Of free trade. le might be right that • the manufacturer, who plurl.4l on equal terms with hie competitors, should be mite jerted to thee pristriple; 'hoed' the Iltittsis agrieset tiv rist were to stilt With such • load as the agreseatult amount of taxatiou In which lie, was- subjeoicel e . lie must sink in the coistest, and so Imeteel e tisetemies could, me it regarded lua u , he neither fair not' free. There was still another cane. whit+ pudic essentially contributed to the depreciation of the sericulture', es well 113 every other interest, and that was the Art vulgarly tailed Peel'r 11111, which, had operand amt egrwaltural italuetry to meititedl; culable extent; nod though he, kweir - if eras itT-- most profane to call th it Act in' question, yet he would venture to say that it never would t.e.a per matient hear./—The HasueMerssleer concluded by moving to bring in a Bill for repeal. ing ihe Atteof 59 Geo. 111. which *wriest a terse of Is. 4d. per bushel on malt in England, and. 4s. 81 per barrel on malt iis Ireland. Mr. ItTACK EN Zt E eeermeled the motion, sad urged the danger to the morals of the people. of Scotland from the illegal distillation. He stater, that after the pawiug of an Act in 1816, for allowing small stills, the consumption of malt in the distilleries want graeirally increasin g, tilt the patting of the Act in 1819, impaling the additional duty, since which the comutninion of legally: distilled spirits had greatly decreased, and had rendered unsaleable all except barley of the first qualitie 'mod it 'watt Y tot that iu the north or Scotland, where the duty ma ten Ohms of levelly distilled spires ansimalted to &seek a persati might purchase the sante Amin distilled spirits at 21. 10s. being. 15s. Btl. less than the deity on the same quantity of legally. diehlkdapirits. He believed that the dee ciency of duty in Scodatid los vomeared with the prr ceding, year, immented to . 1.00,000/: end in his °pi e 'term the itettrienter bad not yet attained.its greenest height. Another 'circumstance pecohiarly • felt in Scotland wits, that previous to the rear 1819, Scot land hail always paid 84. per bushel less duty titan England ; he would not inquire as to, the justice or expediency of that ditferewee, hut there was serfficietit reason to complain of the sur reptitious manner in which !lie Act was hurried thiudgltethst !loose at the end of it Session, where. nearly all the Scotch Members had left town, by which a privtlege enjoyed by Scotlaed since 17:25 way abolished, and then, though .an equal dirty wee imposed on Engtielersielt, the duty in Eng land was only equal to 16 per cent. additions'', whilst iu Scuilaud it amounted to i,13 per cent. He would wily udd one asset-view more, and he be lieved he might say, that he spoke the uilanitnnus sentiments of all the &legionary of the north of Scotland, when he said that any advantage whicle the revenue might derive from the tax, Valli more fleet overbalaneed by the mischiefs it orcesioned to the money of the people in that part of the country. It had lel to such an increare of smuggling. and eegendered habits so hostile to every idea of order and a good police, that nothing but tee deepest sense of public duty could induce the filagistrace to eontiiitie to ace lit chalkuged any of the 8-leather, connected with Scotland to deny any part of the statemeut lie had made, aud he therefore called upon them. in preservation of the morals anti police of Scotland, to support the motion. Mr. ELLICE said, he rose to state the grounds on which he intended to support the motion, as they were different. from those of his Ilene Freud, &- fore lie pressed for the repeal'of any tax, he must. isatiify himself first that the (estuary was in a state to do without it ; and secondly, that agiiculture would be benefited by its repeal. lie had before' recommended dee the country should be relieved to the amount of the Sinking Fund. We had al ready dealt with that fund so largely, that he con sidered we ought nut to feel any repugnance at go ing u little further. Ile thought the House ought, in the first place, to relieve the present dietrese of the contelee by appropriating the remainder of that fund to the reduction of taxation, looking to future prosperity to enable us to form au efficient Sinking Fund. 'Elie ceremony of issuing 17,000,000/. at the Excite quer to that Commissioners for reducing the ualiotiel debt. seemed to serve uo purpose but to maiden' .a complicated system of accounts Bed useless offices. He .put it to the House to say whether there was any thing which the House could do would enforce economy on Government, except it were by reducing the:Means of extrava gant expenditure. To prove this, he need.otily 'Belem, that the Customs and Excise in 1807 amounted to 34 millions (nearly the amount of . present collected), and was collected at an expense of 1,100,0001.; whilst the last year the charge wa-, 41.400,0001. He *greed with his Hon. Friend to his complaints of the Act of 1815; and lie thought if the Committee sitting up stains were to recom mend its entire repeal, they would do more service to the country than when they assisted the verinuent to pass it. But Gentlemen mint not: anticipate any rise in prices mach beyond what they at present were. When they supported the resumption of a metallic currency in 1819, they bade adieu to high prices, which were mainly dependant on the depreciated currency. If he were asked shat remedy should be proposed for the farmer, lie should be disposed to adopt the statement of an Honourable Member (Mr. Coke) a few nights ago, end he should say the farmer must get his high charges reduced, or he must get high prices. But behind the farmer WaS another !tenon, for whose ease there was no remedy ; he must pay bitterly for the support which he had given to Governtuent for carrying on of infamoue. PI F ~~ 6 L,' T