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the Holm. It was useless to blame the Acts which had been passed fur this conduct of the Sheriff's. Had those Acts never posited, the case might have happened as at present. Placing the Sheriff in the chair was matter of mere courtesy. He did not know what were the politics of the Sheriff. They had been assumed to be ministerial fur an eatraor- ____ _________ ditiory Magda, 'loosely, bocioie the Silent 'longed to a corps of yeonsanry—(Hear, hear)-- Lord BE RAV 11—(ocross the table)—" Newly raiied."—( He a r, howl Mr. B. WlLltilleisok professed not clearly 'to tniderstaud the weillire of the distinction taken. The Sheriff wee .eowever a young man, both in chivecter and foresee, and until that day be had never kt.ison whet were his (the Sheriff's) politics, if he were a supporter or not a supporter of Mi• meters. No doubt the Hon. Gentleman might think his conduct very incorrect: but he had con versed with and eitsinined sonic who were at the ineetiteg, died the conviction left on his own mind Was, that the Sheriff considered that lie was acting quite impartially. Fie was of coarse not answer . able for the anise which took place at the meet ing*, Which Might equally happen at any other meeting, however ►ebpectrbly reputed it might bo. Ile remembered to have heard an Hon. Membir state, that at tile county of Kent meeting a half-pay officer, as it was termed (though it ought to be no indignity to have served the country), having ea. premed his dissent to some of the proceedings. escaped narrowly with hiv life. Indeed, iu a delr be►ati►e assembly of the highest character there was en account on ►ecord of hives and other manifesto twos of dissent having hero heard nn some peculiar occasion.—( Cries of " Bear, hear," commenced on.the Ministerial side, and echoed for a consider able time by the Opposition.)—He was glad lion. Members were able to take the hint. though he de clared he had no idea of applying it personally to them. The fact was, that people might be led away by their feelings to do that which they might afterwards be ashamed uf.—(Hear, hear,frons the Opposition benches.l--Fie begged the House to bear in mind that though it war fit that the Pell fiat should be heard end printed, being only an ez-parse statement, it would be unfair to the She riff to act on it. Mr. Hotiowoon complained of the misrepre. irritation of the Hon. Member. He had merely stated that a half-pay officer of the waggon train held up his hand against the proceedings of the comity meeting; •but so far from his lire bring en iiiligered, he was admired or a hold mid cou rageous man for having done PO. It was true, that as he retired he chose to put himself under the pro tector •of a Noble Friend of his (Mr. finny wood'.). There was some hissing as he left the rowed, but the man wits in no real danger. He had inquired who the man was, and found that he wean half-pay officer of the waggon train; but so far. was he from intimating this as a disgrace, hr had as much respect for the character of the lowest as the highest officers in the service. Mr. Currey would have nothing to say as to the rank or politics of the Sheriff. He was anxious to know if they were agreed as to the Licis which hid been stated. He wished to know if the Sheriff had refused to put the annendinent, or even the negiliee of the motion ? ‘Pere they agreed as to the tooth of these 'negotiant ? Sure he was, that i theee'vestr no law to punish the Sheriff. The only course to be taken was to call the Sheriff to the har of the House. It was the duty of the Noble Lord 1 to mike a motion to that effect. In reply to the allusions as to what had passed at the prorogation, he would state, first, that the Hon. Member was incorrect as to the account of the biases, of which thew* were none. But us to the observations wade upon the cries of " Shame!' and other de monstvations of contempt which were manifested, he was only too happy to own himself as one of the persons who had made use of these means to thew Noe sense he entertained of that ungracious pro ceklitig, which appeared as if it were the intention liiniVtors to display the most signal contempt, and insult to the Members of that As sembly. Mr. PHILLIPS nod Sir .loom NEWPORT spoke in condemnation of the conduct of the Sheriff. NI , . B. WILBRAHAM explained. %Ir. STUART WORTLEY Paid, that the object of the meeting was an Address of Loyal Declaims tioos to time King: The right of petition was not ititiolvtd in the proceedings at all. Nevertheless. he disapproved a the conduct of Sheriffs who himd interfered with the valuable rights of county meetings, which, whenever the object was not like to to . ondanger the public peace, ought to he granted. Lord BELORAVB explained. He had described the Sheriff to belong to a yeomanry corps newly caned, because that corps was raised aftei the fatal lath A tigust, and enlisting in it was supposed to imisly as absolute a monopoly in certain political iiptnione, as among these who professed exclusive loyalty at present. Mr. CREETEY said, that there was a case on the Journals, which should be scorched after, wherein a Sheriff had been called to the bar of the House for a similar offence to that now complained of. Lord BILLORATI assured the [loose of time truth of his statements. as he was standing within a yard and a half of the Sheriff at the time of the meeting. The Petition was read, sod ordered to be ' , filmed. It stated the complaint of the 300 oubacribers against the conduct of the Sheriff, for Inswing vio lated the rights of his fellowssubjects, by refilling so put an amendment which had beets proposed by Lard' Grosweimr, at a county meeting. ARREST OF A BRITISH SUBJECT IN FRANCE. Mr. DEnaton preoentrd a Petition which be had received by the post this morning from a person unknown to him, who complained that he had been Orrin; into wisest at Ghent, nit a charge of having forged Jester of credit on a Scotch Bank, front whence he oval taken away to trial without being al lowed soy opportinity of preparing for hie defence, He divi not knew the person, our could he answer for the truth of the facts ; but lie had thought it boot to inalce .the circato.tonco known frosts his ploce in Parliament, to give any of the hlittioters whpahrid ; happen ,to be acquainted with the en. CollielelletS, MIA opportunity 'of exploiting them. Mr. Gout.aunn . asked if the kmgliols Minis ,' r . itt 'the place? Alr,:rlittintstr, :mild that Lord Clancorty bad beeipietestp psi the etih of the Petitiouer. . Milton Otii.firettslit s up. *lt its; siined 1.9 t Sul sairstoted that the &tamer • • was repairing to Aix-le-Chapete from Paris to gret the benefit of the bells. but that o• passing from Brussels on his way ionic with some impound in formation for the British Government, which had unexpectedly come to his knowledge, he had been thrown into prison at Ghent. where he was de mended, and was about to be given op to the_Frencli to undergo trial for the l eopposed forgery of • letter of credit given him by a book in Scotland on a hank in Paris. The Petitioner 'proved the House to interfere, and deinind his per ton of the French Governistent. Mr. DENMAN moved that the Petition be printed.—Ordered. Mr. Alderman WOOD gave notice of a motion for Monday next for a Committee relative to Lon don Bridge. On the motion of Mr. Wawa, the Report of the Lordi;' Committee on Commerce was referred to the Select Committee of the House ou the State of of Foreign Tiede. Sir J. NeWroRT moves for accounts of Station ery supplied by the Patentee for the Government departments in Ireland for the last seven years, distinguishing the accounts for each.—Ordered. CRIMINAL INFORMATIONS. Mr. G. BENNETT moved for an account of the Information. filled by the Attorney-General during the last year for Sedition and Blasphemy. Also an account of the number of Convictions. The CHANCELLOR of the ExcHequeß moved, that the House, on its rising, du adjourn to Mon day.—Ordered. Mr. CURTIS moved for returns of the American flour and corn contracted for by the British Government doting the last two years, and speci fying the prices.—Ordered. QUEEN'S ANNUITY BILL. The Order of the Day for the second reading of the Queen's Annuity Bill was then read. The CHANCELLOR of the Excncneractea said, that it might have been desirable, perhaps, to postpone the second reading . till Monday, on ac count of the indisposition of h is Noble Friend ; but us there did not appear to he any objection to the principle of the Bill, it would be as well, perhaps, to let the Bill go to a second reading. If there were any objection felt to this, the only question would be upon the principle of making any provi sion at all. if there were no objection to the prin ciple, the Committee would be the stage most proper for fixing the amount of the annuity. The 13111 was then read a second time, and or dered to lie committed on Monday. Mr. Clex taw* wished to put • question Natty of his Majesty's Ministers who felt able to reply to it. One of his constituents in the City had fitted out a vessel, and was loading her with gunpowder and naval stores for the Neapolitan patriots; but hoe ing received a letter that morning from the Medi terranean, lie learned, that the British Commander in that sea intercepted all warlike stores destined fur Naples. Such being the case, his constituent had of course stopped the execution of the colonic'. He wished to know fools the Right Hon. Gentle man opposite if soy orders had been issued which were likely to have warranted the adoption of such regulations by the British Naval Commander is the Mediterranean ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCWEQUEII. rrh it difficult to answer positively • question which re lated to nothing connected with his own depart ment ; hut, from the nature of the Orders io Council issued with respect to our relations with Naples, he felt josified in believing that the ru mour referred to by the Honourable Gentleman was wholly without foontlation.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. DENISON expressed his satisfaction at the explanation given by the ILght Honourable Gentleman. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. On the motion for the House resolving itself into a Committee— Mr. GORDON wished fur some explanation upon the expenditure of the New Post-office. Mr. I.ttsuttenTote wished to know the nature of the Honourable Gentleman's inquiries before hst could undertake to answer him. Mr. GORDON wished to know what steps were shout to he taken by the Honourable Member. If any additions were to be made to the 280,000/. which had bren so u.elessly thrown away upon the project of erecting a New Post-office? Mr. LUSIIINGTON said, that there had been two objects in view in granting the money: building a New Post-office, and improving the City. The latter had been obtained, though perhaps at s larger expense than was desirable. Au application bad been made for a new giant, but he had done all that lay in les power to prevent Col. DAVI ES said, that the only discoverable im provement made, had been the pulling down of houses. Mr. Wit.t.tsims recommended the lion. Gentle man to take a walk, and look at the ground, and he would cottfe►s* that there had been uo imp►ove tnent mode—no avenue from the City had been cleared. The houses had been pulled down, and posts and rails pat up in don. places. Colonel DAVIES wished to know what use was to he made of the ground—whether the tumors were to he rebuilt, or the leases to be let? Mr. LIMITNGTON promiwed that the nuisance should be removed. Mr. WI i.LlAstscalled the attention of the House to the great number of orders winch occurred on several days towards the close of lost Se►aiou---ou one to the amount of 57 in one Joy. lie thought that a Committee should be appointed to consider of* plan for obviating this defect. Mr. HVIMISSON reminded the lion. Gentleman that the Session of twit year was a peculiar one, which (lid not commence till April. Colonel DAVIES said, that the red complained of was still greater in the 5e1.1.1011 before the lust. Mr. Csi.casirr wondered at . Ike Right Hon. Gentleman Telt-mil the grievance to the late corn tnettrtntreet of the !Irwin°, when he Inuit know as well as I •elf (.lr. Calerari) that the same thing i!ad occurred in almost every Session since either of them had bee') to Pailjament. ne !louse then resulted itself into a 1 COMMITTEE OF WAYS AND MEANS. The CHANCIII.I.Oft of ►l►e EXCHBQU i a a.ut, ►hut Ulnae of the war dime' hied beets ruotiourd iiuw u to 18iG, auto deem lb. Mouse had granted Own ' fur live ►ucceadiag yeuta, which period would ter min de about ul; iis this year. It ,was his purpose to prOpPS, xbe reuewal of time duties. as animal unties feir'ilie next yeir, especially those whirl► fell on foreign spirits. He took that occasion of re marking that the neva! and. preventive services had at length got the mastery of smuggling iii such a degree as prevented the smuggler front gaining ground. This would be proved by the accounts, which chewed au increase upou the last two years in the consumption of foreign spirits. Those spirits were the most proper objects of taxation, not only with a view to the prottctiou of British agriculture and commerce. but Ismail'se of the interests of founds : the taxes ought to be ai high as possible on all such commodities. He concluded by mov ing, that the duty of is. per bushel on malt he eon ' bussed front the ensuing July through the follow ing year. Mr. CREEYEY expressed his determination to oppose any vote of the public money until those distresses which had been so loudly corn• !phoned of in that House were relieved.— It wee his design to move as au amendment that the Chairman should report porgies, to the House. They could not forget what had passed in the House last night on the Petitions relative to tigricullurul and commercial distress, especially on the Petition from that great ins iinhicturing town, Birmingham. 'The emitter satton on that Petition had produced opinions never before heard in *bat House. A county Member had proposed as a remedy for these distresses an attack on the funded property. The fundliolder had been called iii that House a devouring monster of consumption. Au Hun. county Member, on his side of the House, had hailed this expression, and signified his anxiety to be at him (ihe fundholder).—(Laughter.)—The Right Hun. Gentleman laughed; but what would Mr. Pitt have said, had he been Oise, to hear of such a proposal ? To what a condition must our distresses have brought the country, when people were ready to go to war with each other fur their property; yet eight after night they were going quietly on with Committees of Supplies iind %Ns and Means, without ■ny retrenchment being thought of. He would not agree to a vote fur one farthing; he would divide the House upon every. motion, except lie got some pledge or opinion from Ministers as to a reductiOil of the public burdens. He hoped things were not grown so bad with the country aa to make it necessary to go to war with each other for the little property there was remaining. Now the monster he had to eolnpliiie of, and to call the attention of the House to, was the useless number of placeruen in that House. These Gen tlemen had very plausible names, " Under Lords of the Treasury," " Puisne Lords of the Ad miralty, Ordnance," and so forth. In his opinion, they were sham Lords; and it wee quite impossible that we can have any retrenchment while they are amongst us. Ile would not he understood to be opposed to Ministers. He thought they were a most useful set of men as lung as they performed their duty ; but when there was a set of men in the House who receive the public money without discharging any office, then lie said they were no thing but pensioners. If there were only two or three of this description ill the House. be should say nothing about; but when there was a whole pock, it was quite impossible to break in on them. Was it to be endured, that in times like these, we should put up with such • state of things ? There was another class of men in that House, he meant the independent Members: these were Gentlemen whose families subsisted on the taxes.—( Laughing.) —Does any sue deny the fact ? He was quite sure that no man connected with the Treasury could be ignorant, that every day applications were made at the Treasury for what they called their property. —(A levh.)—There were two descriptions of persons in that House, the seventy-two placemen to whom he alluded, and those where families were supported ; and when he took into cotoidera lion the wonderful influence which this system must give to the Administration, lie seas quite astonished they were able on his side of the House to make so good a stolid for the people. —(Hear.)—These were considerations to which the House should attend before they went into a Committee of Supply. And if the Right llo nourable Member for Kn•rasborougb (Air. 'Tierney), whom he did not then see in his place, would, with his great talents. submit a motion on the subject to the House. it might be attended with the mo.t beneficial results to the country. Now the state ments which lie had mode were most undoubtedly true, •nd it was quite monstrous at this time, when the nation was borne down with the greatest dis tress when even the higher orders began in talk or an attack on the bondholder— (hear, hear)—to deny that there never was a period when an econo mical reform was so imperiously called for ; and he wits quite stile that, if the Right Honutirable Member to whom he alluded would either bring forward or sanction some proceeding of that sort, great advantages might result even be fore this Session had advanced very far. He hid not' the least inelissatiou to hold out a de lusion to the people. Nothing in his opinion could be more culpable than to hold out false hopes, but lie really thought that a diminution of 4,000,000/. in the offices of state might take place. and that this sum might be reduced from the taxes. If this were done it could milord a happy prospect of re trenchment, and would produce what was most desirable—an union with the people, when they saw ■ disposition on the pert of the House to sym pathise and relieve their distresses. It was not ne cessary for him to say more; he clone down to that House with a determiliation to oppose the Speaker leaving the Chair; lie did not suppose that a resolution of this kind world have been sub mitted to the House, but he should consider it . his duty to oppose the granting • single shilling until the House should be fairly dealt *Wt.— ( lieer, hear.) The CNANCII.I.OI of the EKCIIEQUER stated. that the Speech from the Throne most undoubt edly have induced the House to suppose that a considerable rto'uetion would take place in the pubhe expenditure. Ile was happy to shoe that that hope would lie in a great measure realised. Ile could not state that that would be the mooed mentioned by the Hon. Gerd. opposite, 4,000,000/. -nor could lie state what the precise reduction /would iw, but lie thought about 1,000,00f11. a n d that this scat was as much as, taking a reasonable view of the establishments of the country, could be effected. r Bet the Hou. Gentleman had alluded to woollier lubjeci, the wiseouolgement of the re- ..; venue, and unlace sssss y expenditure. Undoubted. ly that was a most desirable object to attend to : end he underatoed from the Committee appointed to investigate what reduction could take place iii public offices, that a diminution of 130,000/. was likely to occur. Colo►wl Wilt! observed, that *Muich he con ceived that a serious saving might take place if Ministers would seriously utility to the matter, end although he was slot prepared to go the whole length that hi. Honourable Fiiettal had gone in saying that he should object to any supply until a reform had been effected, still he should object to the granting any sum until the estimates were laid be fore the House. And he thought the Honse ought to return thanks to his Hon. Fueoal (Mr. Creevey), for having brought the matter before their consi deration. Day after day they were called upon to vie away the public money. and when that was doee, tl►eu indeed the estimates were laid oe the table. In the Session before last, the Army Esti mutes were not laid on the table until the middle of the mouth of May, four months after the sup plies had been granted. He was aware that it had been said, Ministers were borate not in this pr.,c tu•e by immemorial usage ; but no immemorial usage should he a sanction ler an Net of such impropriety. But the fact was not so. Funnerly the Parliament used to meet before the new year, and the Estimates were laid 011 the table, so that persons had time to examine them before they came to grant away the money. But last year the Parliament was sitting in the month of December, and noEstinisteu were laid on the table until the mouth of May. %What was to prevent Ministers from pre. paring these Estimates during the recess? He re peated the thanks of the House were due to his Hon. Friend fur bringing this question uoder their elm sideratiou, and whenever they were called upon to vote away the public money, he should always ob ject to it until the Estimates and proper accounts were laid before the House. He would, before he sat down, wish to ask the Right Hoitosirable Gen tleman opposite (the Chancellor of the Exchequer), how much of that million would be reduced by the army, and whether the smuggling on the coast had be• n prevented by the navy principally, or the re venue officers ? Mr. LOCKHART thought the House should nut feel disposed to place implicit confidence in these estimates, fur be conscientiously believed that it was doing so had, in • principal degree, brought us to the blink of that fatal precipice Into which, if we du not Immediately recede, we must inevitably be plunged. What were the dechi reti about agriculture we had heard ? The Noble Lord had said be would nut consent to any alterations in the currency, lest it might effect the public credit; yet he proposed no mea sure. And from what were we to expect relief, but from the strictest economy ? • system which, if it did nut proceed from the Ministers, should be enforced by the House. When, in consequence of the depreciated currency, a great in had occur red on the price of every thing, lied we not then ep plicatious from all persons for increase of salaries in consequence. This increase had been granted in the army and navy. But now that the price of every thing is reduced to the state of the things thirty years ago, have we any equitable proposition to come back to the ratio on which we set Got ?—(He•r, hear.j—Winit was the consequence of au this? He was not hostile to the fundholders; but he could nut see why one part of the country should be drained to pay the other. Such a system might stand fur a time, but it must ultimately fail. When he heard an Hou. Gentleman, who wet acquainted with commercial affairs, state that the fundholders were a tax on the country, lie was quite astonished. Such language really shocked him. He sincerely wished the Government would turn to the strictest economy, and that the people, instead of troubling themselves about particular modes of, Govern ment, or vague ideas of Reform, would thew the Government the absolute necessity of immediate retrenchment and economy. If every thing h•d been reduced in price, he thought that it was im possible our expenditure should not be reduced in some approximating proportion. He thought it his duty to state thus much to the House, for if he did lint, lie should not be able to encounter the ryes and the conversation of many of his valuable friends, whom he esteemed and respected. Mr. Huxa did not think the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman to the Committee quite lair. The object of the resolution was to continue a tax of a shilling a bushel on malt. Now he should oppose voting one single shilling in the way of trees until the Ministers came fait ly forward and stated to the House what reduction they intended to make. IVhenever he put questions to the Right lion. Gentleman opposite on the ►ubjec., he invari ably avoided ell answer; and lie could now do the smite if the Committee granted him what he demands. This was the first opportunity which the House had of calling on Ministers to reduce the public expen diture. He (Mr. Hume) did all he could to,elfect it. It was in the recollection of some Gentleman pre sent, that on the 12th July, 1819, lie moved that an humble Address should he presented to his Majesty, requesting that, in the event of vacancies occurring in any of these useless offices, he would be graciously pleased nut to appoint siteceasots, in order, if possible, to bring us hack to the situation in which we were previous to the war. It was im possible to shut our eyes to the necessity of a re duction. When we see all the high offices, he ex cepted the Ministers, for during the whole of the war, no increase had taken place with respect to their salaries, but look to the drafty and navy, to the ordnance, and others, where allowances are niade three or four times the amount of the original . But lie had almost forgotten to give the Go vernment credit for one circumstance. lie under stood that it was in cootemplation to reduce the wages of the workroenin the clock-yard.—(Hear.)— But no mention of airy 'lung aI that kind with respect to officers. 'the Hun. Gentleman then complained of aionlier enorusous system of expen diture, the mode of collecting the revenue in Ire land and Scotland, and on this subject lie should shortly lay before the House,a statement, where iu an enormous suns of inuriey had been exjwitiltil iu the department of distributing stamps unicingst persons who had been proved incapable of filling the office s merely to increase the power and patronage of the Government. When he perceived this disposition on their put, he was de. terniinetl, if lie only divided with his Hon. Friend, INIMI - idffiii to mins. the Resolution, and he implored every Hon. Member to withold from M . % ters the means of practising this wasteful extravaeaoce, for so he would call it, in the fullest signification of the term. Ile implored therefore, before he sat down, every lion. Member not to vote fur the granting of one single shilling until the Ministers came fal t i o forward and slated to the House what reduction they intended to make.—/ Hear, hear.) Mr. WARD (4 the Ordnance) observed that the Wit. Member stated, the salaries of Of f icers in the. Ordnance had been increased three or four tones more than the original sum. Now he could tell that Gentleman, that almost all the higher offices had been reduced : his own salary had been reduced about 6001. a year, and several others in the same proportion. Mr. HOME explained. Mr. Ilusktssou said, that the simple question before the House was. that the tax of one shilling a bushel on malt, which had existed since the reign of Queen Anne, should be continued. But the discussion had branched out into various topics. The ground upon which the Resolution was op pulled is, that the estimates are not before the House. It would be most extraordinary if there should exist a disposition on the part of Ministers to refuse it ; but he could assure the House it was no I such thing, and that no grant of any kind for the army or navy should he wade until the Estimates were laid before the House. He thought it most desirable that it should be so, for it gave Gentle men an opportunity of examining them. But he thought the observations which had been made rather premature, and lie agreed with the Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Lockhart), that if the people were to unite and turn the attention of the Legislature to their distresses, they would best verve their own interests. Sir J. NEWPORT thought that as the Hosse was in possession of such decided evidence of distress, it would be us well to state it to Gentlemen, to order that th.y might know the value of it. Now lie bad evidence that great distress ;prevailed in Birmingham ; but it is stated that account is ex •gger,ated ; but he had on his aide of the House ecidemie of that distress, and if it were not so, he should like to see a counter-statement, and that Gentlemen opposite would point out the districts in which this prosperity prevailed. The Right Honourable Gentleman has stated, and he was sure the House was glad to hear it, that the estimates would be laid before the Flutist.— Now lie would fairly state his opinions on that subject. lit time of war there may be some reason why these estimates cannot be produced, but in times of peace he cuold not conceive, if Ministers really meant to retrench, why they should hesitate to lay them before the House. The Hon. Bart, then complained of the manner in which public business had been hurried through the House at the end of the Session. to consequence of this, many Bills were passed through that House into which serious errors had crept. He recollected that about five years ago, a Bill passed both Houses, imposing a duty on madder, and the word madder was never once introduced in the Another Bill passed both Houses, imposing six months' imprisonment, and one-hell to go to the King; and this Bill received the Royal Assent.— (Mack faughing.)—This was the almost necessary consequeace of pressing 30 or 40 Bills • day through that House in a slovenly manlier. He wished the House to understated, that lie did not make those statements from any feeling of hostility. He considered it his beonden duty to do so, to order to correct the abuses.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. Husitissos explained. Mr. DENIS BROWNE called the attention of the Committee to the melancholy condition of the coun try, particularly that part to which he belonged (Ireland). lit speaking of the general and univer sal distress thut recoiled, no language could be considered an exaggrAtion. There they had not the same sources of revenue u in England ; all their income is derived from agriculture, end the name of a farmer is now hardly to be heard amongst tl►em. He expressed a most earnest wish that the Session would not terminate without taking the subject into their serious consideration, and apply the remedy which is best calculated to alleviate their distresses. Mr. GLADSTONE said, the high price of grai■ had encouraged a more exteitaive cultivation of potatoes, from which the country now had a surplus of provisioas, anal there was rousequeutly s great competition excited; to the effects of that competition he was inclined to attribute much of the distress at present felt. He 'bought it particu larly necessary that tits idea should not go ■broad, that the House posses►ed the power to apply any amity to evils like 'host. With respect to what was said last night en 'besot,- ject of the distress at Birmingham, it appeared to him— The CHAIRMAN reminded the Hon. Member that it was disorderly to advert to a speech made on a former sight. Mr. BROUGHAM said it struck him that the Chairman was himself out of order in interrupting the Hon. Member, particularly as he bad permitted other Member, to proceed is a similar manner. He begged to remind the Chairman, that a Committee of Way, aid Means opened every thing, and all subjects were fair to be discasard that any way coo fleeted themselves with the stale of the nation. Mr. BItOGDEN said, it would ill become him to dictate to the Cusnmi Bee ; but be bad thought himself called apron to interfere, and notwithstanding the lecture witch he had re ceived from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (for which he thanked him), though he agreed with him that is a Com mittee of Supply every topic connected, however remote, if it bore any relation at all, might be iatroduced, yet he must at ill think that it was not regular to advert to a debate of another night, fur the purpose of replyiag to what bad been then said by some Hoa. Member. Mr. BROUGHAM said, he did not understand the Member was adverting to what had been said On a rut vi. night fur any other purpose but to reply to si , me oby lions which bad been made iu the course of the prewut de bate. M►. GLADSTONE was about to state his opinion, that the distress at Birmiughase arose from a local cause. Soule bra-aches of trade were certainly ou the increase. He remem bered that SO years ago we received all our iron frog Russia and Sweden ; but DOW we 001 only supplied our ODD els,- mestie coneumptiou, but seat a great dial to fortig. mar. kris. Ii had been said that the (rims& of Members livid ua the taxes; hot was it not natural that Miuisters shouid prefer those in whoa they could put confidence ? Mr. CREEVEY wished to know if the Hon. kleinhtr could Inform him whether Mr. Falconer was connected with any of the Members fur Liverpool, or by what iaterest was that Mr. Stanifortb procured his situation, worth 4,0001. per annum ? _ Mr. GLADSTONE said he certainly knew Mr. Stanifoi th, bat be believed that Gentleman had no snore csmcezioa with either of the present Members fur Ltirtti...ol that soy other iatleyeadent Geatleasan might bate. He belitted that be was eolearetest, by naarriatte, wish General Tarlton. Mr. CREEVEY should wish to be informed whether Mr. Staatforth was sot brwmber_ia•taw to Mr. Balton ? Hr had hero informed that greet eauvassing had bees aged fts4 the • • • a • • a • 1 ti e it • .11 I • t • • a tl • • • tl iniS