The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-06-24 00:00:00

India 'torched. Imola greatly conduce to the at!- vantage el the country t sud there iv... i i a other inetlivil whatever of exteudiug relief to thetn.ia their present sitttation. - The Dal.e of Slawraose said. that in the North 01SL-ottani! tire price of coru was exceedingly particularly of oats, atitouutiug to a considerable scarcity ; altho*ia otheijilaces, they might be more accustomed to eat wiltattou la cad, the people of ebuittry had a if:eater desire for bread wade of oats and barley. He considered that the interest of commerce ought to be particularly attended to ; it was what had raised tlinvcountry twits highest pinnacle of ireeatuessa. and by ueglectiug to protect et 111 times of difficulty, we might bring on our ruin tad destruction. The Earl of LAVDERD ALE, iu a very aninsataal speech, °visaged the Bill, as contaiitiug restrictions injurious to the agriculture and interests of the country. It was contrary to all the good maxillas of these wise writers who had cesiautunitoted their lien ttinents upon this subject. No principle mom ab surd and more palpable could be maintained ; it for its object the relief of one description of per sous. by causing direct injury to another. In his opinion, it was as absurd as if, when the cotton linniuticturer should be in distress, a restriction should be imposed upon the woolleu-m•nuficturer to prevent his selling his broad-cloth, iu order that there might be a greater consumption of cotton. This question had Leen discussed, and well known in farmer times. There was a paper in Tkc Specta tor, written, as he believed, by Mr. Addison, where in was dearly shown the impoliey of increasing or diusiniahiag the quantity of any one article in the market. For instance, he had demonstrated, that if a tenth were added to the quantity, it would di minish the price one-half. Therefore, he contend ed, that it would be policy on the part of the grower of barley. to destroy at once that quantity which had been used ia the - distilleries, rather talus permit it to diminish the latices, by coming to SU+ other market beyond their usual quantity. Lord Id ter rases ay spoke at considera hie length, aid urged, In a ninety of reasons, the ueeessily .if this measure being Ran:elated. He owned it would be great and good principle if all chip*: were so ordered that they could be regntated by their own maned laws. He was ready to admit, .that the principles laid down by the Noble Lords would be limper to be acted upon if this country were to rust independent of foreign connection and its own regulations. Would it be contended. that restrictions never ought to have been intro 'lured respecting the importation and exportation of corn ? Sech a restriction had been deemed ac cessary. had been found beneficial, and had been extended in pad times to the growers of corn, for the purpose of preserving to them their own ad vantage : and this. measure was effecting no greater relief to the West India mtetchant. Ili. subject had been improperly termed a West India one • but the, great object in view was to do away the apprehension of seaccity. for which there had been some ground to be alarmed ; suit if we looked to the North of Scotland, 'and the North of Ireland, we shall fiat that this scarcity had been in some measure felt. We might cenvatalata oars velvet now, that there was every proapect of an alawidant harseu ; he thonght we had nothing to fear. although the particnlar crisis of &eget was not yet passed. It was shin to be considered, that those nations bordering on the Baltic, through the errata of the war. were not likely to supply us with env at all in coo of dire necessity. America, be beierv.al. had never supplied us with more that ene-twellth, sin the general importation. The Earl of I.Arecap*Lt rose to explain. and oheenrad, in regard to what had been stated by a Noble Duke. that •die people. of Scotland were more disposed to live noon barley and oats than wheat, it was his (the Nnh!e Earl's) opinion, that a native of that couatry %add be glad of the best bread he could get. Tiiere were tales of tuitional ammixst the common people. He re in.anhertal a 'story of a Sou:lmmo coming to the hnnse of an Englishman. wheu the latter ohservell. 4. What have I get in thr house that yes can eat ?" —The other replied. • Wh,t hare You got in the house that a fterochrean cannot eat?" • Th e Doke o f fonysms shin explained. The Bill was then read a seerind time. and or dered to be (*omitted to-inormw.—The House thee adjourned. nO(•tE OF COMITCIV3. The Sostsra 'Vint InT11111:1Wd to the House of Peers hy l'ittier of the Pleek attended accordingly. On his esters, hr inforased the !lease thee the Rowel Assent bail been glees by Corm re iwoon to the follow ing Bale : The Irish lawn Bill. the Inshflpirits Rill, the frieti Malt Doty Bill, the Row 11)4;1 Comenise:sisers' sin, the Berl ott Cosourotsioncre' the Coach Bill, end the Antli tare Arron.its Tit Tire Hamar Wl'4lt into a Committee open Massey's Dicer., BM, he whirls Coon.ei see heard, nisi witnesses ...e t 'ma ritime& The report voicre3 to In nwevired to- morrow. TM Priwatee.etcaltng Art Repeal ROI was, on the mo tion of Sir S. Root t.t. , read • thud tine. end roved. Me. B posyrned his isolsoo- wss to the AVett India Cosinsiy, till to- ,no-r.iw A Message from, :It. l.nerle ananisired their I.orrtsii:ps' Ames. so she l'itcrif itere;wtton R"t. Cape •-r (tart 4 Belle T.r.14 , the Riil, and Cw R u n fir te sardiir• the erste aeirso; tiiszu tha expiring of Acts previous to the paryinf .4 Acts Or font swam/ion. The 800 Rag Slorlthir IBS was row:tined. Report rt. ori.rd, oast ...Wad to be real a (hint flow tw.tosr.i... The Coilis tacos Doty Bill wee read • third Wilt ate.' paved. Ileoisis hire !tilt. the Ausititt. Bill, and the Brasil Porossr Bill s VW" read a third those, atol passed. ()II the motion for the committal of the Reprizal - - - Sir Commits Poi' swum& " That there be an hastruction to the said Committee, that they louse power to amend the Act of the .6th of the King. ch. 7.2, to prevent Agents tichanciag the proceeda - to account.' Mr. Rose objected to this, as he had already taken into connderation the best mode of the proceedings in the Admiralty Courts. under the tilling laws, and particularly the best mod* of ro d sitting certain sum. of money remaining due in the Weeek,oties, which had been kept back againot ell remonstrance. ; not having yet, however, fully digested tio-..e 'measures, he could not submit them Ike the commis:mums of the /louse till early iii beat sesaims of Parliament. %%ilea that was brou li lit forward, the I;qlit Hon. Gentleman welchi then b a vcanoopertsl,..t/ of, vggyetiltgaaty improvements that asigiat oszor to bin. Sri Ciuttts Nix add' La. that the .diet on he hall to submit related to seamen only, and he thought it wits imossible, uutier the present cir- . _ , eumetances, to delay takin g some steps wpm this , subject. From stoat had been stated, he should however withdraw his inotiou for the present. Mr. Rost replied, that the Right Honourable Gentleman could not be more anxious than he was to atumd to the benefiting of seamen. The House then went into a Committee. The Iteport was received, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time tu•ttaorrow . . THE COFFEE CCIITO3IB MITT SILL On the motion Inc this Bill being read a third • time. Mr. HISSZST stated carious objections to the distance of the period at winch this reduction of duty upon coffee was to take place, and lamented that some measure of more importance was not proposed for the relief of the West India Mel'. chants. He should move au amendment upon the Bill, alter the third reading. The Bill was then read a third time ; and 11r. HISBERT proposed. as an amendment, that the 15th of August be inserted instead of the 10th of October, for the Bill commencing its operation, in reducing-the duties upon coffee. Mr. HvestssoN opposed this. The measure had been communicated to the West India mer chants so early as the mouth of March, ■nd it had been generally approved of, as beiug the most ef fectual mode of atiording relief, without operating prejudicially to the retail dealers. It was thought necessary to give retailers to the 10th of October. im order that they might be enabled to dispose of their stock in hand. Mr. M slillOTT stated, that our warehouses were already overloaded with coffee, and in addition to that, there were fleets espectml house from the West Indies, and particularly from Demerara and Sum AM. with cargoes of that article. so that there must necessarily be a ;Teat glut of it in Lou don. Coffee intended for home consumption could not therefore be disposed of till this measure took place. He knew that most of the great retail dealers had alreai4 cleared their warehouses of fur home consumption ; but at any rate there might be a clause inserted in the Bill for indetn nifying those that had still a quantity iu hand, for which they had already paid the original duty. He was conviseed that Ministers would save more to the revenue by making the Bill commence im mediately' than if it only commenced front the 10th of eleteber. Mr. Bsettsu said, he understood there was a great difference of opinion atnongst ietait dealers upon this subject, some wishiug it to take place early, and others late. The CRANCELt os, of the Excntenee thought every objection was completely . obviated by inti mation of the day at which the Bill was to com mence having been given. Sir CHARLES PRICE deemed it necessary to give retail dealoni sufficient tints to dispose of their stock Upon band. Mr. Mt snout thought that the delay would be prejailieial to the revenue, as there would likely be fewer cennitners and fewer orders given foe toffee. se lug as it remained at its present price, as they would be *fishnet] to delay till the dittses were lowered.— He therefore approved of the amendment suggested. The amendment was put and osgatived without &division. The Bill then passed. 111311r1MOTIBUG. Mr. WAIDELL, in pursuance of his notice. rose to make his motion upon this subject. in order to resent, if possible, n profligate espenditure of the I.public 'Gooey. ori;inatitig in the system of private contracts, which had been pursued at the War-of fice, in di:fi vice of the orders of the Lords of the Treasury. He was fully prepared to prove that these orders had been disobeyed. and that great injury had thence arisen to the 'white. It appear ed that in 1.40 J the first offer made to the private contractor tar great coats for the army war at the rate of Ids. 6,1. each, hut that the price should fall in proportion as the price of kersey fell.— How this bad been attended to he hail document* to chew. and he begged leave, in doing so, to ob serve, that he did sot mean to make this at all a party question, es, from the documents be should quote. it would appear that abuses existed during ditferent Administrations. 110 could shew that the . price of 16s. 6d. had been exacted by the clothiers who contrActed, even ep to the oth J Feb r last, although the price of kersey had gradually de creased daring every intervening year. He had the evidence of Messrs. Taylor, respectable matte factnrers in Yorkshire, to thew, that in December, leo4. kersey was as. 6d. per yard ; in December, 1505, it was 4c. dd.; in December, 18041. is. ed.; and in December, Iso7, it was 3s. tid. These wure the prices of the very best kerseys that were made. He might calculute, from the state ments lately made as to the Local Militia, that t 50,0400 men were supplied with great coats every three years, se that he might suppose eBssoo great coats were supplied annually. According to that ratio, therefore, iu 1005, kersey was ds. dd. is yard, which made a dilVerence of ttil. upon each, so that Messrs. Pearce and other private con tractors were paid 2,6661. 13s. dd. more than what they were entitled to. In Hub, it was 4s. id. Great Boats-ought to have been 15s. 2d. and there might have bees a saving of 5,1331. lds. tuL ; and the next year the price anlcht to have been 26. 94. and the amount that might have been saved was 15,0001. In three years the loss to the publie` amounted to 43.0004 which was entirety owing to the system of private esntostets, and the flavouring of individuals. Till the Ist of • Feb. triton. On redaction took place in the price of great coats, although the price of kersey was so consi derably lowered, and the public had to thank the sport .if other clothiers, who made offers to save a a vat sum of money to Government, by furbish ing fay article at a much lower rate. Proposals were mule ..n the /nth of June, 1906, by ,Messrs. Scott and Co. when kersey ass at is. sd. a yard. to foraish greet coats at las. od. each. That was a house. which, he believed. stood second in this ecite.try. sad were much confided in by the Ord- UaLi , e • Delwi talent for the last three years, not by essiklug pri,ate, nut by open and fan. eat.tracti.. Their °tier would I•ave 6a7eri at least 21.14751. nun sa tild livery to the Treasury, or 7.011. per annum ; and although ahoy e .rcneel it ionst tstit•tlortoritv, yet it Ica Lad accepted af; tioveilwaelit pref . /gni:lz they olsi plan or paying 16s. 6d. for each great coat. To 1 *deuce thew. however, that Compuiir were allowed a partial coati-act, ansi were actually paid at the rate of IG. 6d. although they bud offered to fur nish them at I -Is. 941. A strint4er proof than this could lad surely lee gives us to the quality of the article. Upon the tatli of Frio/nary, lobe, another offer came from the sauce house, stating that they could then serve the public cheaper thou in their former offer, keriwy having fallen to Ss. 6d. per yard, and they were better treated than before, as they were informed that the army was to be clothed by open contract, of which notice was to be given by advertisement. They would then have furnished great coati' at twelve shillings each ; but having received this notice, thy accordingly were induced to wait till'they should get notiat of the open contract. Instead of receiving it, how ever, they were allowed a partial interest , and re . ceived f as. for each great coat, to place of 12s. at which they had offered to famish them, Messrs. Pearce baring had interest enough to get the price fixed at las. This spewed the fit rour that was re perieuced by one particular house. Upon this one transaction, he could prove, that 16,661 1. might hare been saved upon the whole: deliveries, or about 1,4001. upon each. The lords of the Treasury trod intimated their determination as to the pro priety of advertising for open contracts; but these orders, when intimated by him in another quar ter, were disapproved of by the Commander in-Chief, and therefore were not put into ex ecution, upon the ground that open connect* were injurious to the public. Ile would be glad to know how this injury had been proved to arise ? He was at least sure that 50,0001 had been saved to the public by the Board of Ordoauce adopting open contracts. It was not ally the pub lic but the soldiers also that were benefited by that system. These objections had no effect, however. upon the Lords of the Treasury, for they again di rected the Secretary atWar to resort to private C• - tract. as the best mode of supp l ing the army with great coats, as would appear from the letter. dated sib Feb. 1508. signed by George Harrison. Secretary of the Treasury, to the Secretary at War. He could prove that between the Sth of Nov. 1507. and the Bth of Feb. last, the public had lost at least 30,0001. by the nonseeecution of the former orders. He trusted that what he had urged that night would be the means of putting a stop to those practices of private contracts as to great coats. Ile had stated nothing but what he could completely and satisfactorily prove by documents, in a manlier that would get rid of all arguments upon the soli ject. He should now say one word as to a general plan of clothing the army by open contract.— It had been objected to this. that it would prore injurious to the emoluments of Colouets of regituents • but he thought he could propose the means of ado pting it,withoutinterfering with those emoluments, by making them a fair and valuable equivalent. He thought there was a possibility of saving a very great sum of mousy to the public, amounting upon the infantry *lone to 101,0001. and if the same system was to be adopted as to the cavalry, there would be a saving of at least .000,001:11. lie estautled with moving, as a Wiwi ution--. were °flat it ia the opinion of .his Horse, that film au its. peeper adhereinee to the system of private ectatraets, a great sad anotecessao expeuee hid arises to the public apes the article at Great Costa, and that the orders of tine Lards of the Treasury,lutes; and I Jos, diietting open contract', wire highly prop, e, and ought to have been observed, set aright yet to be resorted to to all eases wham fliesteransent app., foe &tibia' for tbe anns, sad that a assiag sight SIM to the public, withuot injariteg the iatantat of ealseseo The Secacrenv at 11'xit ruse, end replied to the arguments of tile Host. Member. lie admitted the statements alleded to bad barn submitted to the Treaanry Board, bat he honed the House would, ere he had concluded, be wetiatied that they had suffieient around to justify their want of sequins. eence in the principle laid down and detailed in those stiteaneuts. From the year 1003 the regu lated price of greatcoat. had not been iacreased, notwithstanding there had lows no tueoasiderable rise in the price of the etaffufwilich they were com posed. After these statements spoken of had been submitted to the Board, they had taken all proper steps for the amplest iiireetigution of the matter. Opinions on the propriety of adopting the new sys tem were taken from all persous likely to contribute romeiderally to the investigation of the subject. Ile, amongst others, had been consulted, and had not hesitated to give it as his decided opinion, that every thing being taken into conaideration, there was no probability of the comforts and converters ekes of the ooldier,innr at the public swinge, being increased Ly the proposed alteration. The advice of the General Officers had been received on the subject. stating, that thee cetweived it would be an &eject extremely desifiaLle to the colonels of re gimestea though it would not be attended with any congiderahly advantages to the catlvenience of the private aoleliery. The a hole statement of these different emotions and examinations was transmit ted for his consideratirm to the Commander-in- Chief, eh° hats conceived an extreme disincline tion to altering the adopted system, which bad perhaps been strengthened by the opiuions of those engaged in the clothing of the aloe, who to a man were decidedly against it. Thus had every thing hsecu done to obtain &tolerably acenrate idea ( I from the o f the rea Ln of e th efle ece e roposed no bi n :m u : ag e:Lid ble.atil tachod to the Treasury Board, which had, %lab so much eagerness, set about the investigation. But independent of these considerations, foam the na ture of his situation, it could not be for a moment supposed. much less proved, than any iiisetteetion on this head could possibly attach ite-If to hint, as the matter was total'' , out of his province, and altogether in that of the Commissary-Ge neral, with whom the clothing of the army pro perly rested, generally speaking, though to each Colonel a certain allowance was made annually for the elnthing of his own regiment But the Treasury Board were tent only exculpated. but were justified in not ado n tiiie this propoeeel partial reform, siert it heal been for some time the in tentiort of the military department of Government. to introduce a completely new system in the slink clothing of the army. To insebtiget..! its propriety , a Committee for some time hal hen opeolutel and he hoped their report IkeUhl wen Ihe t.rescutei' to 1:11• proper perems, in whose ja th, in; sht h- considerea to he incliad,h Sunialv he, on tine cs.e..asion, be appealed to tot his he would not hesitate to give toltat **VIA he had from the aio,t roaticientiwob tiieti‘cs given already. He coashlercit it ittiprisbahte that clothiers, who _ in general as munch alit e to interest as others, would make such a bargain as that rutted by L b n I,*anourabl Jletuber ; and thotigb fur the public satibfactieu it 'night hi. better the ntausgeutela of this portion of tinny clothing were lodged iu the public, as they might probably make with the tontraitor , a tiar d er tyrrguin, yet it _would by uo means sorsa , to increase the comforts or conveniancie4 of the soldier) ; since, on all puLli coarsen, it had hitherto liven fonts!, that scary-ly any atteutiou had been paid to the quality of the stork, provided iu put,tiance of the contract. To the first resolution 11.! felt the greatest objection, as it prootded on a 1a.1.1 statetumt. unsupported by proof,essid as the House Lau no ground to proceed therein, be should move upon it the previous question. With respect to the idea of recommend ing open contracts, he thengbt it uninst to depn, e Government of the means of conmilting the puld.;.: interest from their own experience. The re v t o f the resolutions were absolutely unnecessary, since at the present moment those step., were already taken which these resolutions were adapted - to lead the Government to adopt. Mr. 'll'uttnasan thought .that as so much had been said by the Right Hon. Member respecting the comforts of the soldiery in this respect, the principle should have been reduced to proem e in other instnisces. The large muftis of fur, and long lappets of woollen, worn by the cavalry in all sorts of weather,with other extraordivary appurtenance. , , render the army generally ea object of ridicule. It was also wonderful that whiskers should be adopted in Englund. among the niilitart 'where they were unusual, said prohibited in where they were itt common use, and thought nirCt. mental. It would be seen froia his Hon. Friend's statement, that the same coats had been provided to the army at His. which had before been offered to them at 14s. 9d. There hod been no rise on keniei of late. He did not think it right to reject the present improvement, because the Commute had it in contemplation to make a more coma demble improvement in the whole clothing quell,. The Commander-in-Chief should pedal's ha.e a right of contronting these matters ; yet, from the recommendation of marry experienced persona, there should hardly he any doubt as to the adoption of the inensure. The Right Hoa. Member had Olean but little regard to the interests of the soldier; . when he had carelessly said, if they were not sup plied accordiu.4 to his wishes, that the matter should be referred to the Commissary General.— Private contracts must oe infenor to public ; for, if a man be dishonest, he could, in a private oat tract, do more injustice than in a public. If Lo mat, in a public contract, he would come forward as eagerly es in a private ; besides, a public • On. tract would bring forward more rumples than sny other. From the or,,ent progress of the Commit tee, had the Chairman bees iron, and allotteti the years of Methasslem. he could not hove to lire to see any progress made in the long-proposed and shamefully-procrastinated reformation. The SECaETA&Y at WAIL said be had no of jec tion to open-contracts himself. General STIMAILT thought it no matter sehat clothes regiments c are, 60 as they were perfect in thtireteiciplihe ; every thing that could waist in this point should be introduced, thou.oh a little expen sive or inconvenient. Wainer saddles had of late been introduced, as inore fitted for service on out posts. He consirdered it would be advantageous to Colonels to be divested of the trouble of prosidiluz V sg ot e lts ; bat feared they would not then be so odour , - • clothed ; as those who were food of their regiments scarcely made any thing by their cloth. iv. Mr. WHITIBULAD congratulated the church on the vigilance of the two, Auhbishope, who he con jectured were a few days ago visiting its outposts. as he had discovered them mounted en hussar sad dies. /A larrgh, and cry of order !) Mr. Mammon thought every thing the Hen. Member could wish was now in train. end likely to be accomplished. He defended the Trea sury bout any imputation of blame. but reprol.atrd the idea of open-contracts. as teilehng to raise the price of - commodities to Government. Mr. FULLia thought the elucidation of sad,lt.: went to the bottom of the matter. Bet the pre sent expensive dress of several regiments was pit — judicial, and had compelled many poor men to quit the reevice. Such extravagancies should be paid for by their inventors. If contractors were act paid eiloilish, goods would be bad, cud. like a re giment he wee saw, the soldiers would return from the field after a shower with great coats sticking to their skins, and unfit to make a shirt of. Indeed, the w hole resembled a question lately agitated it the Lords, respecting the deficiency of an loci iii the length of their shirts, when it was found • that instead of wanting an inch, they scarcely bask enough to cover their (o load loses present inquiry might be serviceable, but he should not vote for the resolutions. Mr. WAIDELL, after replying to several aNa•• ments made use of by his opponents, tousentol to withdraw his resolutions. MR. PALMER'S CLAIM. The CIIANCELLOR of the Excusoosh, on the resolution of the Commons, the 14th June, IVS. being read on this subject, rose to state the reas, , , , :r he had tors:Tom for ioduciog the House to tiise the prevent resolution out of the general Appro. priation Act; of which he had given such cotorl , te notice to the House on Monday. From a number of precedents, he should prime that the elouse had on forager orcasioas proceeded io the way he mat now millions it should proceed. The present ca.e was so circumstanced as tame than any other call for a strict adherence to the usual prart,e of the Home in similar ceses. He should adds , r ,everal instances of grants given to iffilivirtu a ith ropilltioros thereto anneaeil, sotne of alit , a had hewn tag. ked to the Arpropriaton Act. others nitr.sluced on separate Nil'. Ilk 17:: • Sled rcceired a sum of 5.0001. wth a r unties , d, thot she should make a full :lg.( ;. V.Ct yof tier cure for the .tone. TH. was r.it e setioraite Act. in 1731. To Sir T. illoenie. fourth of 14.000. for discoverissz the sit of Or oubisk,il slk. and epoi•ing to. rr.odel. unit. rion ; this wits granted on a .rparate Bill, thougi trfterw .ids Lit.l.Cl to tLe Apr i •