The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1826-05-05 00:00:00

b o, to the state in which that portion of the people were now r imed, without feeling that it was entirely owing to the grind jooorotem of taxation , which took from them more than they could bA' r and yet hit Majesty's 31iiiinters had, from year to year, beet' lea itugtheen on, by holding nut that no such state of things ex: ig a The Right Honourable Gentleman had so lately as In th• month of March last, concluded his speech by stating, that held in his hand • list, which showed a great increase oo .omption in almost every exciseable article. The Honourable „ adma n, after complaining of the unfairnaa in the selection • b e r-ar 1816 as the point of comparison, when everything was in • i n the most depreued state, while in the year 1825 the greatest de. g ree of excitement prevailed, proceeded to comment upon the „,.. eura cio in the Right Hon. Hentleman's statement. And first, ;0 2 regard to malt; in taking a review of the annual consumption of that article for the last 40 years in England and Wales. it &p -atio' that the quantity annually consumed had actually decreased, int w ithstanding an increase of consumer*, of about 40 per cent. lied. , o con tended, from documents which he read, that the con swing, i n wines, spirits, sugar, tea, and tobacco had all greatly &cre wed, ootwitbstanding the increase of the population, and that o , u pensm had proportionally increased. Ile tomtit not go h aml et' the items of bricks and tiles, and such thing", to inquire whether they were or were not increased in consumption ; but this he would say, that if they looked to the state of the peo ple, In every point of view of the premises he had just m an, it would appear that their moral condition was much c ow ered, and that their comforts were almost utterly taken away. The heavy taxation accounted for the distress. The Can Laws and other things might conduce to aggravate its pressure, but Its prin. eipol source was • standing army in the present year of 87,000 men. Such 'statement .sufffeiently proved how little desire there existed among Ministers to relieve the boohoo' of people. He would or.lr relate two %eta relative to this: one of these was the immense cis on account of the half-pay. The numbers of the half-pay establishment were still on the increase, notwithstanding the pro mises of the Noble Lord, and his calculations in 1817. holding out a continual decrease ; but on the contrary, the exact nunibers on half-pay In 1822 were 13,721. from Colonels down to the Hospi tal establishments ; and In 1800 the numbers *ere 13,839. so that there was an Increase of I lit persons on the half.pay Hat during that period, notwithstanding death and other accidents, which ought to have redo ed it. That was a sufficient exposure of the expentli. fore of the e mntry, and of the ills resulting from it, when so many idle persons were supported at the expense of labour and industry. He wished to go more into detail on this point, but he had moron to complain ;lint he had not received returns for which he had moved. Ile expo •ckl to have trauma of the promotions which had taken place, in order to prove the Motility of keeping 6,1 7 3 officers on h a lf.pay. What was the use of promoting officers from day to day, alien so many were paid without being employed? It was 'wily to make way for the promotion of particular persons, and of increasing by that means the preponderating Influence o r the. Court; a power which the Howie ought not to concede to his M.jerty. But if the army was bad, the navy was still worse. Tau he considered an important point. it was a fact that a large pinion of the Legislature were influenced in their votes by that patronage in the Navy; it was bad, as viewed with regard to the snore. but it wart quite impossible to shut one's eyes on its ill con. 'Names, when regarded as a corruptive influence. The advan tages ginned by the naval promotions were that the heads of some familia voted as Ministers chose. in the year 1793 the caters in the navy were 2.063. but in 1823 there were 59 Admirals, 64 Vice- Admiral.. 20 Rear-Admiral*, 820 Captains, 814 Commander, sad 3.720 Lieutenants. In the present year the Lieutenants were reduced to 3,51t7, while the Commanders were increased to 8211, and the whole amount of officer' in pay was 8.528, while the num ber employed was only 328, so that the number of officers main. tuned was sufficient for seven fleets such as we at present had at rt. Nn one could say that the promotions which took place last year were for the good of the service; it was obvious that they were solely for the interest of great families, and rush a system of pro. MO:i011 and expense was an evil which ought to be looked in the face and put an end to. Rut the 'ante system was not pursued in the corps of Marines, consisting of eight or nine thousand men. If one branch of the service ought to be made efficient, why not all? Yet in the Corps of Marines, consisting of eight or nine thoassod, only seven promotions had taken place doting the late Ave years. He saw, In the Ordnance and in other departments, the same syatem of increasing expenditure, and he could not help aerie. ing &gibe conclusion that it was the enormous demand made on the industry of the community, by the amount of the public burdens, which principally occasioned the present distress. Ile wished to say a few words in reference to the 45th Resolution : he had there stated the progress of pauperism and clime; he had allowed that the parochial assessments were on the increase, but papers had since been laid on the table, which contributed still further to show the increase of pauperism; the poverty and distress pervading the country were greater than were imagined, contrary to the state. meats of the Right Hon. Haldeman ; but if any Gentleman would cast his eve on 'Fable 5, he would see that the number of commit tals in 1803 were 4,00, white in 1825 they amounted to 14,426. Crime was hell to be the child of poverty, and poverty was the re sult of a heavy taxation. When :Violaters contented to support a number of idle persons by taxation, they had much to answer for ; they contributed to cause that pauperism which threatened the welfare of the nation. It wits Impossible to look at the state of crime without feeling alarm. In 1822 the numbers committed were 21,000; and in 1823, 22,000; but the numbers committed to Net/gate last session during six weeks were 450. To correct those ills, the first object ought to be to reduce taxation • much good ht he done, undoubtedly, by Otne.tmovlelling tho ' nealleiteit by altering the Sinking Fund, and by other means ; but unless the alinlstrs put their shoulders to the wheel, in order to reduce tax. anion, there could be no hope of permanent relief; if they persevered in maintaining a war establishment, they would hind, in the season of national danger, the baneful effects of a protracted exhaustion. Ile, for one, would acquit his conscience of any share in the pro. election of those ills : he had often called the attention of the house to the lavish squandering of the national resources. lie had re ceived letters from different parts of the country which would liar. roe up the feelings of the house; the distress was universal, and gmeral privation must proceed from genets! causes ; and the cause be believed to be the exaction of too much money from the com munity by taxes. Ile was not one used to be affected with gloomy anticipations. He knew the distresses of the country, but he knew Its capabilities also. "Ile had often said that this country had great capabilities and great energies; but it could not on that account support indefinite burdens. We ought not to allow an increase of debt, nor the maintenance of a great establishment; but we ought to proceed cautiously and steadfastly in the reduction of both: on these grounds he hoped the House would go along with him in voting that an humble address be addressed to his Majesty, praying that he might be pleased to take into considera tion the present state of the nation, and to direct an immediate in- quiry to be made into the causes which produced the present tress, and to order such measures to be adopted as might speedily relieve the present embarrassment. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was about eleven o'clock this (yesterday) morning when he was first pat In possession of the series of Resolutions of the lion. Gentle. roan ; and when he observed to the House that these resolutions were forty-five in number. and that they were spread over twinty. seven folio pages—that they embraced even) , possible question rela tive to the funded debt and to the unfunded debt, together with statements of every branch of revenue—that they embraced ever" topic connected with the great and complicated interests of this enontry—the House would acknowledge that it would be itnpos. tilde for any man to enter into a detailed view of the subject. He would theretore entreat pardon of the House if he entirely omitted any consideration of a great part of the Hon. Gentleman's speech. Re would not seek to hilltop the lion. Gentleman in his arguments, because he thought it would be impossible, but he would touch only on some points for the purpose of explanation. lie had no ides that the object of the lion. Gentleman's motion was such as it had proved that its only result would be an admonition to reduce taxation. He thought it inconceivable how such should be the sole conclusion of the Honourable Gentleman's speech, but he had con sidered it his duty to look over what had been printed, and saw something there on which he thought it necessary to make sonic animadversions . He found in the first place that the Hon. Gentleman had charged him (the Chancellor of the Exche. quill with making false statements ; it was not stated whether through ignorance oe illusion; but he was charged with making false statements; he denied that and every similar charge, and he thought it unustral to charge Members with unatchorised ac. counts of their statements. lie (* Chancellor of die Exchequer) did not feel himself answerable for words said to have been spoken by him in 1023; but the Hon. Gentleman had charged him with falsehood, (he could not qualify the expression), and if that charge were true, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) would not be lit to hold a situation in that House. But he was charged with mak ing an assertion with regard to the redaction of the funded debt, tr:iielt he had said was redneed 111.441.00 W. by the operation of the licking Fund, and the Hon. Gentleman declared that that state ment would be found inconsistent with the facto contained in his Resolutions; but if that statement wire consistent with the papers maul before the Holm,. he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) Would be Satisfied. lie had not, however, made such a statement. He did not say that the reduction took place by the operation of the Sinkbg Fund ; but he said that it did not.' On that occasion he titled saying that he would propose a simplification of the Sin ki rag Fund; but though lie mentioned the reduction of debt, the lionOeutleman might 'retia the word Sinking Fund was not used, and yet he would not feel bound by • word. Mr. HG ME said that he a ppli e d to the Right lion. Gentleman for en explanation the very night the words went used. The CILVNCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.— A comparison would show the progressive decrease of the debt during seven years. In 1016 the amount of the funded debt was 814,311,4461.; the unfunded debt 48,611,0061. In 1024 the funded debt amounte Ito 7 24 ;,:k0,0001.; unfunded 43,4:16,0001. So that the reduction during film seven years in the funded debt was no less than 19.791,09 111 . But. in making these statements, he had not mud the words "sink. tog fund," because he knew that many ether causes contributed to producethe (Met. The Hon. Gentleman was not entitled in his Reoolutions to select a garbled array of expreseinue : when he pre. tended to quote, he ought to quote correctly. But the Honourable Gentleman had said that the statements made by him (the Chan cellor of the Exchequer) were inconsistent with the facto contained In hi s (Mr. Hume's) Resolutions, So that the Howie was called on lien to vote him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) wrong, and afterwards to rote the resolutions which condemned him, to he correct; but he was sure no one would condemn him, who listened to the clumsy manner in which the charges had been brought tomtit him; yet the lion. Gentleman was enamoured of that style of reaming, and used it on several occasions; as for instance, in *solution there the lion. Gentleman said that the reduction of 27 millions of taxation was quite fallacious, as would appear front the subsequent resolutions ; so that he war to be condemned in the first instance, and then the proofs of that sentence were to be found. But be would again look back ; it was, indeed, impossible to follow the method of the Hon. Gentleman, which was so in• volved, that he (the Chancellor of t h e E xc h eq uer) was disposed to cry. "Chaos is conic again ;" but he would look beck to the second resolution. and exentine the justness of its conclusion. The statement intended to be there refuted was that relative to the funded dabt, which amounted, in 111111, to 816,411,0001., and in 11123, to 795430.000 r ; and the lion. Gentleman attempted to disprove that statement, by referring to a period from which a part of the above period was really excluded. He begat; his statement in 1817, and not In 11116. It the Honourable Gentleman would refer to the rtsolutione which he had proposed at that time, and which he had not carri e d, h e wou ld fi n d from them the or. soundness of all the charges he lied brought forward. Ile (the Chancellor of the ElChtqUer) was sure that his statements would be found to tally with parrs, although perhaps not with the re solutions of the Hon. Gentlemen. The Hon. Member adopted en extraordinary method after speaking on the subject for two limes ; he 'aid he would rot trouble the H ouse any farther at present, but would take another opportunity ; he would therefore leave it for a future occasion. Really he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) did not know that lie was called on to justify the conduct of all the Ministers for the Int quarter of a century. The lion. Gen &man had attacked the financial policy of Mr. Pitt and of others. The arguments on the Sinking Fund, and the comparison of borrowing with one hand and paying with the other, were, it was obvious, applicable to antecedent arrangements, and were not to hc anewered solely by the present Administration. There might be doubts with respect to the utility of a Sinking Fund, and he knew that a great change I.: opinion had taken place on that subject, but he had never ascribed anything wonderful to its operation, and he felt that the charge was quite unfound‘d. The Hon. Gentleman complained too of the mystification of the public ac counts. If any thing could he impossible sod absurd it would be the attempt of Ministers to mystify the public accounts; and if such an end were sought to be accomplished. he would refuse to take any nart in public affairs. But it was impossible to banish every difficulty from account, so extensive and v ohm% ax those of this country. He would utterly despair of' making the public ac• counts interesting to persons who would devote hair an h cur every mottling to their perusal ; he eruld t o make them eat) , to such per. sons; but if any mode could be devised to simplify them, although it might expose him to more attacks, and more char and intel ligible attacks, he would gladly adopt it. The Hon. Gentleman also (barged him (the Chancelkw of the Exchemier) with coming slow to the Mope and boastMe of lightening taxasihn, whlth he thought herd not been done. The reduction of eight millions and a half appeared to hint only apparent ; the same amount was evied on the people as before. But that proved the greater multi Oili ness of fewer taxes. When the duties were reduced on witiee, the result was an increased consumption, and though the anticipated loss of revenue by that reduction was tostimated at only 239.0901., the actual loss fell shoe even of that. But it could not be con tended that no one had the benefit of the change. If be had given a battle of wine to any one who could not have had it before, he felt that the measure was bent kis!. The Hormirahle Gentleman said that reittetion of text.:(t was of no benefit, because the proceeds were as high as at the former period. Such a proposition as that was so preposterous, that he (the Clian. cellor of the Exchequer) would not take upon himself to answer it. The Honourable Gentleman ( Mr. Hume) talked about spirits, and compared a few of the last years with antecedent periods. What was the fact as regarded the subject of spirit., and what had he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) done ? Why, finding that the consumption of spirits was decreasing whin there was a great in crease of population. which afforded a prima ,Janie case at least that there ought to have been an increase of consumption instead of a diminution, the duty was reduced, and the consequence was an increase of consumption. But the full effect of that benefit had not as yet been felt, because the Act altering the duty on spirits only passed last year, and came into operation so late as the sth Jan. last. The Hon Gentleman, therefore, was not entitled to draw any conclusion front a regulation she benefit of which had not as yet come into full operation, He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) admitted that at present there did not appear to be any increase, hut as the diminution of consumption was naturally supposed to hare arisen from the amount of duty, and as steps had been taken to remedy that by a reduction of the duty, the Hon. Gmtleman had no right to say that he had not attended to the subject in qucs. tion. The Hon. Gentleman also found fault that for three suc cessive years he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had seated to the House that there was an incvease of revenue and consumption, and said that upon these occasions the House was congratulated upon the increase of the revenue. that therefore he (the Chancellor) of the Exchequer) took pleasure In abstracting money from the pockets of the people. To that most absurd charge he would only say it did not affect him in the least, and that he treated ft with the most possible indiffetence. He could not, however, let that obeertatlon of the lion. Ghntlefnan pale unregarded, bedattte he (Chancellor of the Exchequer) placed reliance npon that circum stance, that the condition of the people was better. On former occasions he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had gone back to 1792, and had compared the Consumption of that and other years about that period, to prove the comparative difference between con sumption and demand. On that occasion he had also adduced proof, but which the Hon. Member had tailed to rend in the con clusion of the paragraph. He had teed to the House his (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) opinion upon that occasion, *hat was the actual state or the country at the period to which he alluded. The country, at that time, was in the utmost pos sible state of confusion, and he would call open those gene Gernert connected with rant of the country in which it existed. la seam *hether the country was not at that time in a state of die- tress, and even bloodshed. That, however, had fortuiiately vanished; and that was the period he had taken from sell:tit to drawn an inference, certainly not the most favourable for the ob ject he had In view. The Hon. Gentleman complained that in 1824 he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had said that there existed an augmentation of revenue in the three former yearn. If that were true, what better possible proof could be adduced of the ease, comfort, and increasing happiness of the peopic, Otto being ; deduced front an increase of consumption ? If eitoof retold not be i adduced from such a source, from whense could it be obtained ? The lion. Gentleman said that he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had compared the years 1816 and 11125 in his Plate- ment on a former occasion, to serve a pnrpose. He did not know what the Hon. Gentleman meant by the words " to nerve a pur pose;" that he compared them to serve a purpose in argumeat was most certainly true, and he felt mowed that he wee justified in so applying it. His object was to - chew, in competing those years, what Parliament had done, and he also stated there had been a re duction of taxation, and went on to whew, by a comparison between consumption and demand, what had been the mate of the case from those facts, and that, he contended, in opposition to the Hon. Gen denten, was a perfittly proper and legal course of argument. But what was the consequence ? The lion. Gent. now taunCed him with including woof in hie then statement; but he would tell the Hon. Gentleman he had done no such thing, for he took particular care not to do en, and guarded his observations at the time particularly on that point, which he would not have mentioned, but it stood last in his list upon that occasion. • What lie had then said was, " that if upon all articles of taxation, upon which the rate of taxation was highest, there war an increase' Of consumption, it showed a progressive improvement in the state of the country ;" and he was assured that the House, in looking into these facts, would not think hint deserving of those imputations which the Hon. Gentleman had cast upon him. The Honourable Gentleman had said a great deal upon the subject of the army and navy, and had cast aspersions on the motives and actions of his Majerty'y Go vernment, and indeed of Honourable Members on the opposite side of the House, as connected with those departments. but into the particulars of which he One Chancellor of the Exchequer) must be excused from entering. lie, however, must say, that his Majesty's Government were charged with a very serious duty, wholly of a different nature from that implied by the II on. Gent. It was impossible to foresee what difficulties anti events might arise. It was incumbent upon them to protect the foreign posses sions by such a force as should be enabled to repel aggression on the part of thestates by which they were surrounded ; and the Government would abstain from doing their duty, if they (lid not maintain those services upon such a scale as to meet that object. The Hon. Gen- Hassan wee wholly free from the awful responsibility which rested on hie Majesty's Government in those respens ; at the same time he admitted they would be guilty of a great dereliction of duty, if they were maintained for such purposes as those stated by the Hon. Gentleman. Such aspersions were easily cast, but the Hon. Gen tleman had we right to infer, because his ideas differed from those of his Majesty's Government, that he was of necessity right, and that they were necessarily wrong. He (the Chancellor of the Ex chequer) did - not know why the Government were to be tied down by the Report of the Finance Committee, because that Report re commended the establishment of the Army and Navy to be brought down as near as possible to what it watt in the year 1782. " As near" was a term of degree, and must be taken with reference to our foreign possessions, and it would be found that any one in analyzing that part of the question would lind that his Majesty's Government had not propoeed any defence for the Co. lontes not essential to their welfare. It was a subject that had been under discussion for years, year after year, and those discus sions had tended to phew, .and to convince many Honourable Members of that house, not usually coinciding in op inion with his m• Majesty's Government, of the ces.ity and ex ped iency of these establishments, as they existed at present. The Resolution on this subject went to charge every man's conduct with some trumpery or unworthy motive; and it was galling in the extreme, that after Government had received the almost unanimous support of that House on the subject—it was galling to hear the Honourable Gen. Heenan ascribing miserable and paltry motives for their conduct. Ile (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) could not conceive what n:o -five the Hon. Gentleman judged - from, but it certainly was clear that it was not from a very worthy one. All he could say was, that he should not attempt to vindicate himself, and perhaps others felt disposed to treat the Hon. Gentleman with as much indifference as I he was disposed to do. lie (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) could not speak for three hours and a half (hear, hear), but thought it quite impossible that, on forty-five Resolutions which no person could comprehend, the Hon. Gentleman could call upon the house to move for an Address to the (:men ; and he felt convinced that if they could not vote fur the first of those Resolutions, they could not vote, in justice and common sense, for the others. For one he should not consent to the Hon. Gentleman's motion for an Address to the Crown ; not because he did not admit the right of Parlia ment so to do, but because it attributed to the Governmern an insensibility to the distresses of the country. Upon that and the other grounds he had stated he should object to the Address, which urgently inferred that his Majesty's Government were indifferent to the distress with which the country was assailed. Those dis tresses must come home to every breast, and he that did not com miserate in them must be either more nr less than man. The Right honourable Gentleman concluded his speech amidst much cheering. Mr. BROUGHAM said that the ;tight Honourable Gentleman who bad spoken Lot appeared to have mistaken several of the observations of his Honourable Friend ; and as there were many Members now present who hail not heard the statement of his Hon. Friend, lie should beg to mention those punt of his most valuable and luminous address. The )lilt Honourable Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) said that he only received the re. solutions of his Ilan. Friend that day, at eleven o'clne.k. If that was matter of grievance to the Right Honourable Gentleman. it wax much more so to him, for he did not receive thin, until half. past seven, when he esine doom to the House. expecting a very different subject to he discussed. namely, the corn titivation, or the Act for the regulation of the Court of I 'bancery, and he wished to knit. if it was more material that he 'Might be to a worse situation than theßtght Hon. Gentleman. lie ( Ilr. H.) wished the !louse to attend particularly to the charge made by the Right Hon. Gen. denten against his illonottrable Friend. for hastily bringing on the question of the State of the Nation. Upon former occasions, in which the question of the 'owe of the na•ion was to become the snhjett of discussion in that House, so far loon having eight hours notice, and having the subject in writing, or indeed printed, so as to have the advantage of it in hand at the time of the debate, the Right nett, Gentleman would have heard a speech, and at the close of it particular calrtilatinne, minute details, and the mast elaborate statement of figures. Ile would so have heard the speech tei;hout one hour's notice, and without having had one item given into big hands. With respect to the first Renoletion, from what hail fallen from the Right Finn. Gemleman, it appeared that he had understood his Honour:dile Fitted to have made a charge against him of deliberately misleading the House ; but he (Mr. Brougham) did not understand bon to have made any such charge. The account, differed one from the other, and theft the Right lion. Gentleman said you mum make your charge on a publication not sanctioned by me. [Here Mr. Brougham turned to 31r. Hume to nscertain the enrreetness of what he was stating, but who not observing. remitted nn answer upon which Mr. Brougham said he was sorry his lion. Friend was not paying that attention which he had done to him.] (Hear anti laughter.) I The statement in question wee Olken from a speech of the Right I }lnn. Gentleman , not sanctioned by him; but helMr . Brougham) understood that h:s lion. Friend made • note of that part of the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech it the time when It wan deliveaed, and that he crossed over to the opposite side of the House;'showed the note to the Right lion. Gentleman w4dtais he . had taken, and said " your calculation is so and so, and ate respect to the Sinking Fund, he was devidedPflrf opirutt with Ids lion. Friend that the system of raisirg money on loan : In aid of that fund, was a delusion on the public as to its applicability for the purposes for which it was formed. He was. however, happy to find that he also on this orea-ion agreed with the Right Honourable Gentleman as well as his ll'aiourahle Friend, for the former had admitted that night that the Sinking Fut.d was at a discount. (Hear.) A similar objection had been taken by e Righ• lion. Gmtleinnn as to his Hon. Friend's observations on the way in which the amounts were kept ; but so far from his lion. Friend having hid any charge against the Right Hon. Gentleman on that head, he had distinctly said that the Right Hon. Gentle man hail occasioned those docitments to be prepared in a way that reflected the highest credit. He (Mr. Brougham) Could not eon. ceive why, because there were n greater number of figurea—as, foe instance, thousands instead of humorede, and millions insteol,of thousands—the public accounts should not be rendered as perfectly intelligible as those of any private person, as was the case in France and other places can the Continent. With respect to tax ation, he agreed with the Right Hon. Gentleman, and differed with his Hon. Friend. That was, he entirely concurred with his Him. I Friend's printed paper, but differed with his sweet. Three years ago he (Mr. Brougham) had nsaved a similar renobition—that thought there was a nominal diminution of 27,0A0,000/., still as 69.000.0001.-was mod in a depreciated currency. when the market price of gold was M. and the Mint price only 31. 17s. 101, making a depreciation of 25 per cent. upon the larger and 20 per cent. on the smaller sum ; if, therefore, the amount was taken at 52 millions, instead of there being a diminution of 27 millions. there was only, in point of fact, a reduction of one million and a half; and that was a circumstance upon which there could be no doubt. for It was a matter of common arithmetic. Rut while he agreed with his Honourable Friend on that point, he also agreed with the Right Honourable Gentleman, that as seven or eight millions of taxation was taken off, it was clear that if the revenue still realized the same amount u before, that it was at the discretion of the purcheur ; because, if it was taken upon wine, and that two bottles paid only the duty that one did before, then the choice of paying that ditty fell upon the consumer, if he chose to consume the quantity of wine that paid the former amount of duty. He was compelled to differ with the Right Honournble Gentleman on the subject of consumption. It was admitted that the population, since 1785, hail increased forty per cent., but the ennimniption had not increased in the same ratio.— In the article of malt, which was one which might fairly be taken as a test of his argument, on an average of years ending 1785, the consumption was 2:1•1 millions; and for a under average ending 1821, it wits only 25) millions. So that instead of there being an increase of 43 per cent., there was an actual diminution of one per cent. That was a very striking fact, and, if the documents-were correct, proved a very unforturate one, as connected with 'the happiness and condition of the people. The Honourable and Learned Gentleman then went through the same inquiry as to spirits aml sugar, and stated the former to have diminished, while the latter had a li=the increased in consumption. Ile then went into the subject of the increase of crime, and stated that he had been staggered at first by the documents on tism,bead. but on. reference he found that the averages had not been taken at a fair period, inasmuch as they combined the period of the discharge of the army and navy after the battle of %Vaterlon; and, therefore, did not militate against the thoroughly received opinion of the ad vantages that had resulted from education in that respect. The Hon. and Leemed Gentleman concluded by stating his intention to vote for the tarty - seven resolutions of his Hon. Friend. and urged the propriety of reduction in every department of the expenditure, so that they might meet their Constituents at the approaching elec. tion, with the consciousness of hitting done their duty. Sir. 3IABERLY said, that the statement of his Honourable Friend was fully borne out ; for that the Right lion. Gentleman had not in the accounts put any valuation on the dead weight and other annuities ; and that he was prepared to show, front a paper which he held in his hand, which he valuelks much as he did the opinion of his Right Honourable Friend himself. It was evident from the official document laid before Parliamenti that the national debt had increased from 822,000,0401. in the year 1812, to the sum of 893,000,000/. In the year 1826. The charge on the debt had also increased 130,000!. The object of his Hon. Friend was to show the country derived no benefit front the Sinking Fund, and in his (Mr. Alaberly's) opinion, he had established that proposition. The Right lion. Gent. opposite had said that he was always anxious to avail himself of any useful suggestions which might be thrown out from any quarter of the House ; but he must nay that it was only last year he had succeeded in oionining a balance-sheet to be made out for Parliament, although lie had been calling for it for many years; and he begged then to make another suggestion, which was, that a Committee should be appointed early in the next Session, to examine into the way in which the public accounts are kept. Mr. ROBERTSON rose monist amidst cries of " Question," which rendered the lion. Member inaudible for some time, wa understood hint to say that the Resolutions proposed to the House had no tendency to relieve the distress of the peoole, and he thought that the Hon. Slaver could not succeed with:his propositions, without breaking faith with the public creditor. (Here again the cries of 6 6 question" were repeated.) lie main tained that the Sinking Fund had been of great service before 1793, and even to a certain extent at the present time. (The House again manifested great impatience, and the Hon. Member moved an ad journment, but, as no Member appeared to second it, the question was not put from the Chair.) 111 r. HU3IE wished to disclaim any intention of making any personal allusion to the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ile thought the public burdens might he les sened at least 10,000,000/. annually. The civil and military esta blishments might be reduced to the extent of five millions and a half. lie thought the expenses of an Ambassador In France, which amounted to 30,0001 might well be spared at the present time. lie wished to remind/ the House of the Address which had been presented to the Crown in 1821. That resolution had the effect within a week of effecting a reduc:lon of the public burdens, and he was anxious to press the present resolutions upon the attention of the House. . . . . The House then divided, when there appeared For Mr. Hume's motion, bi ; Against it, 152—Majority, 101. The other Orders of the Day acre then disposa of, and the House adjourned at HALF. FAST ONE O'CLOCK. DEATH Or CAPTAIN COOK.—We extract the following account of the death of Captain Cook, as given by the in habitants of Owyhee. It is taken from an interesting work by a Missionary of the Sandwich Islands, who has recently published a Narrative of a Tour to Olv.9bee:— " The foreigner (say they) was not to blame ; for in the first in. stance, our people stole his boat, and he, in order to recover it, de. signed to take our King on board his ship. and detain him there till it should be restored. Kapena Kuke (Captain Cook's name is thwi pronounced by the natives) and Taratupu, our King, were walk ing togriter towards the rhore, when our people. conscious of what had been done, thronged round the King. anti objected to his going any further. His wife also joined her entreaties that he would not go on board the 'Wits. While he was hesitating, a man came run ning from the other side of the bay, entered the crowd almost breathless, and exclaimed, ' It is war I the foreigners have coin meneed hostilities, have tired on a canoe from one of their boats, and killed a chief.' This enraged some of our people, anti alarmed the Chiefs, as they feared Captain Cook would kill the King. The people armed themselves with storms, clubs, and spears. Kimono entreated her husband not to go. The Chiefs did tint same. The King set down. The Captain seemed agitated, and was walking towards his boat, when one of our men attacked him with a spear ; he turned, and whit a douhle-barrelled gun shot the man who struck him. Some of our people then threw stones at him, which being seen by' his men, they tired on us. ('apt sin Cook then en deavoured to amp bin men from firing, but could not on account of the noise. He was turning again to speak to its, when he was stabbed in the hick with a palm ; a spear was at the same limp driven through his body ; he fell into the outer, and spoke no more. After he was deed we all wailed. His bones were sepa rued, the flesh was scraped off and burnt, as was the practic e i n regard to our ow n Chief s when they died. We thought he was the 'god Rono. worshipped him as such, and after his death reverenced his bones." Ent tanugort, May I.—Last week, a woman residing near Newburgh, was accidentally killed with an ale, while gather. ing some wood which her brother was cutting for fuel. The head of the axe which he was using happening to be loose, started from the shaft, struck her on the head, and caused almost instant death. Ette iarttfOlt tireoo. KING'S THEATRE. TO-MORROW EVENING win, to perforated iforiachPa Opera Serie in Two Acta, TERALOO E ISOLINA. The principal Character by Nfatlemei.eile liontnl, Madame Signor Veilnil, Slfmor,Coirlonl, Signor Devl:le, Si for Porto. Atter the Opera the favourite Rolla of LE RAI. CRANIPF.I ni:. •e• A Masquerade I. In preparation for Monday, the 16th Inn!. Appllcationi. &e. es usual. ortvitf-LANETHEATRE. Tide Evening, FRIDAY, May E. will be perforated (6th time) the Grand Romentle Op_era, called AIADDIff. The prlnclpal Characters bilioss ---- rs.iliseladr, Horn, Browne, Bedford, O. Smith, and Harley ; Hisses Stephens, Cubltt, and Posey ; hire. I)atl von, and a young Lady. To Conclude with the Melo-Mania of ELLA ROSENBERG. Rosenberg. Mr. Penley ; Sto;;, 151;.1)o;t7nTilutterman. Mr. Tayleure. Elk Rosenberg, MISS Kelly; Christine, Miss 1. Paton. COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE. This Evening, FRIDAY, May 5, will be performed the Grand Romantic and Fairy Opera of OBERON $ Cr. THE ELF-KING'S OATH. The principal Characters by Messrs. Brahma, Cooper, Romer, C. Blntui, J. Isaacs, and Raker; Misses Padua, H. Caine; Madame Vets iris, Mrs. Vining, and Mrs. Davenport. To conclude with the Farce of _ !LAMING THE WIND. Jenny Midler, Mr. loan; Plalaway, Mr. Blanchard; talnwou'd, Mr. Mealows ' • Baal, Mr. Evans. Lamella Durable, Mn. Lavenport Peggy, Mks Lore. sADLEft's WELLS. Thle Evening, FRIDAY, Mays, will be performed the Comic Romance of THE ENCHANTED OIRDLES ; OR, WINES TEE wirer' AND THE LADIES Or lAYARCAHD. Amine, Wm. Fltzwllliam. After which the Comic Ilteto-Dratosele Barletta of THE MAN AND THE MARQUIS; OR, THE THREE SPECTRES OR THE CASTLE OF ST. VALOR!. With the Comic Sketch of TRICK FOR TRICK ; nit, THE VALET AND Till LADY'S HAIR. Brag, Hr. Williams ; Lucy, Mrs. Eltewilliam. To conclude with the Locil Sketch of CHUNEELAH ; OR, THE DEATH 01 TIIR ELEPHANT AT [TETER CHANGE. The]Sarrtsg PIIESS commenced publishing yesterday morn ing Si fire o'clock. LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY .5, 1130. The accounts in the Etoile of Wednesday assert that Russia has proposed to treat with Turkey bj, Comtnis sioners, and has given the Porte six weeks to consider of her ultimatum, in which she is supported by Wistersw, an envoy sent by Austria for that purpose. The reports from Greece continue favourable, if they can be depended upon. An English motel from Malta is reported to have met the Greek fleet, which had obtained a victory over the Egyptians. This, it is said, has been the cause of its delay. The Indirateur of Bordeaux says, that the " misery has been so great in Spain, that it has driven a Cure and all his parishioners to rob on the highway." A memorial has been addressed to FERDINAND from Catalonia, com plaining of the distressed state of commerce in consequence of the Colombian privateers on the coast. By a letter from Lisbon of the 15th April, we are again assured that the deputation to Brazil is not to sail on ac count of the war in that country. An English General is spoken of as about to take the command of the Portuguese. We subjoin an extract from a French Ministerial Paper relative to the cordon sanitairc. The Chamber of Deputies was occupied on the Ist May in discussing the budget of 1827. We learn from Nismcs that the recent disturbance there caused the death of the bride's aunt (a Catholic), whom the Cure refused to inter in consecrated ground. She was buried in the Protestant burying-ground. THE BRITISH PRESS'. PRTCFR OF FOREIGN CAWas Ronda 40 40 lonteneblan Holds Uiuu Acct. /10 Ditto Ronde (Is 2-1) 40) If I 1 Ditto Acot. 41 40 ILII 4 I 4 Daeleh Roods (IW2) Rs 41, I 4 I Ae , .. 3-34 Greek Ronde I)itto Ilon4l 11823) 16 Ditto r eel. 13 4 16 164 I STOCKS YESTERDAY. Mexican Bonds Ditto Bonds (ISM 42 2 Ditto Acct. 02 2 A Peruvian Bonds Nit 3 t 22 4 Ditto Acct. Portugnese Ronda 71 Prussian Bonds DI Russian Bonds 7al Spanish Bonds 7 Vitt° Bonds ,Isca) PRICES 01 SIM YEIIIIIIIIIIAY. Sr,.t Pald. 11'pianos aalllan ...... . ........ . . • IN 16 dig Srltish Iron (handl* and Caplrltn Santa Brasil • Tlnlpumdata •• bi m Whited lie:lcon M 26 21 ilia Welch Iron and ......... ss sh 1.1 Ells INS. All am* Itrlttsb and ?weirs Protector Fire 2O 2 13 dit C• 4 LterT .117110 CON/ CIIINPAWC/I. Unitpd General 5.... ...... fell Id 941. NI Canal Gas Eng . I. 1 i dig (From the Jourseal de P3rie.l The different corps who are to compose tae (-merry tznitaire (in Portugal) have already reached the province of Alentejo, where this cordon is to be formed. _ The following document, published by the Archbishop of BEtteNfox, with a recommendation to the faithful in his diocese to join the association, and to adopt its spirit and its practice, is of so much importance, that we need make no apology for submitting it to our readers at length. The existence of such an Association for four years, with such considerable funds at its disposal, deserves great at tention, even should we admit that it has not yet reached the height which the following article indicates. Different associations for the same purpose have been instituted under various titles in several parts of France, in parti cular at Strasburgh, where THARIN, the Bishop. since appointed to superintend the education of the presumptive heir of the crown of France, formed one on the Ist Dec. 1825, under the title of the " Association of Good Works for the Diocese of Strasburg')." REGULATIONS OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRO PAGATION OF THE FAITH. SECTiON 1.-ESTABLISHMENT AND OBJECT OF THE ASSO CIATION. ART. 1. A pious Association is founded in France, to take the title of the " Association for the Propagation of the Faith." 2. It has for its object to increase the number of true Catholics, aiding, by nil the means in its power, the Missionaries charged with spreading the light of the Faith among foreign nations in bath hemispheres. 3. It is composed of the Faithful of both sexes, whose Christian conduct is such as will call down the blessing of God upon their undertaking. SECTION IL-DIVISION AND ADMINISTRATION Or ME AS- SOCIATION. 4. The Association is formed into Divisions, Centuries, and Sections. R. Ten Members forms Section, ten Sections a Century, ten Centuries a Division. A. The Association is directed by a Superior Council established at Paris, by two Central Councils (the one at Paris for the North of France, the other at Lyons for the South), by fleneral Councils established in every metropolitan city, and by Particular Councils in each diocese. 7. Every Division, every Century, and every Section, has a Chief. 11. The Chiefs of the Divisions are named by the General Councils. They have a right to be Al embers of the Particular Council of their diocese. They correspond, on the one hand, with that Council, and on the other, with the Chiefs of their Centuries. 9. The Chiefs of Centuries are appointed by the Chiefs of their divisions. They correspond, on the one hand, with the Chiefs of their divisions, and oa the other, with the Wets of their Sections. 10. The Chiefs of Sections see appointed by the Chiefs of thei r Centuries, and cotrespond with them. Each of them has to see the 31emhers replaced who form a part of his section. ii. The Chief of every Division, Century, and Section, keeps exact list of the ten persons dependent on his adminiottation, and communicates it to hit superiors, whenever they recfaht it. 12. The Division% Centuries, or Sections, un sever assembLe tu• gether in one•bnd y. SECTION TIT.-MEANS 01 TOE ASSOCIATION. 13. The principal means upon which the Association tassels it 1 hopes of suweeas are prayers entrain's . , 14. To obtain the blessing of God upon the Association, and upon missions in genera), every member is invited to repeat eerie day a Paler and sn Are. It will be sofficient,..fbr that purpose. to apply to this intention, and once for all, the Pakr and the Alt of his morning and evening prayers. He will join to it this WU , - cation—" St. Francis Xavier, pray for us." 15. Ihe Association chooses, as more particular seasons for prayers and thanksgivings, the anniversary of the Finding of the floly Cross, the day on which the Association was founded ■t Lyons, via., the 3d May, 1822, and the day (34 December) con secrated to St. Franils Xavier, whom it recognises as its patron, A mass will be celebrated on that day for the scenes of the work in all cities In which Councils are established. IC. Every Associate gives as alms in behalf of the minions. 5 centimes CPI.) per week. . . 17. The Chiefs of Sections collect the porticort from the members of their aeetioes, and deposit the proceeds, on the first Sundity of every month, in the hands of their Chiefs of ("mimics, eachClllolllf e Section being responsible for ten portion.. s 18. The Chiefs of Centuries poy in the coarse of the month Ile the Chiefs of their Divisions the sums which they have received 60110 the Chiefs of their Sections. 19. The Chiefs of Divisions give In their acconnts at the earlies t arseinbly of the districts of which they form a part. 20. The Superior Council distributes the revenue. it apportion it according to the wants of the different missions. The adjourned discussion on the discretionary power which Ministers claim for a time to be limited, of suffer ing, under certain restrictions, the importation of foreirn corn, was postponed last night in the House of Commons in an ustexpected manner. It was postponed until this evening on the motion of Mr. W. Wvio.;, dm; reason be assigred being the etrsence of Mr. CA NN I NG. The House then entertained Mr. Hums's motion on the state of the natio!% Mr. Hums made a speech of three hours and a half long, and was most triumphantly answered by the CtiaNCELLOft of the EXCHEQUER. 'We have no room to say more than that the motion was negatite4 on a division of Be to SI. It has ever been, and shall still continue td be, our practice never injudiciously or unnecessarily, still lets lian tonly, to increase or even to keep alive by useless repetitions of facts, merely varied in terms, or according to the several views of different narrators, any subject which may tend to create individual pain, or promote public panic. It is for this reason, however much we may be blamed fur it, that we have abstained from inserting (as most of our contempora ries have done) the one thousand and one versions of.the breaking of looms in Lancashire; and we have reason to congratulate ourselves on the course we have adopted, Bro il% that the provincial papers themselves are at variance on the subject, the many accusing the few that their ac counts of the recent disturbances have been grossly exagge rated in many parts. Oar accounta of the almost instants ons return to tranquillity have been proved to be true, not only by the authentic intelligence from the MS. , onlarturing districts, but by the declaration of the Heine Secretary at the meeting for their relief. Still it is our duty to notice a report which prevailed last night, that on Tuesday evening, after dusk, a power-loons factory in Oxfohl4oad, ltrabchester, was attacked by the rabble, hut it was most manfully and vigorously defendeil ' by the persons belonging to the establishment, who being furnished with fire-arms, resisted all attempts of the mob to break into the factory and demolish the property. It was added that one of the rioters was killed on the spot, and another so severely 'rounded that he !lied a short time after in the hospital. The report concluded by saying alit the military came op and dispersed the mob, but without any further bloodshed. We have every reason to believe that this report is unfounded, and We need not say what , pleasure such an assurance gives us. In the fitst place. we have seen latent from Manchester, which seem (le r they ate not distinctly dated) to come down considerably later than the accounts of these supposed transactions on Mon day. In the next place, we made inquiries at a late hour last night, and were informed that no express had arrived 'to Government athatever, much less one giving the melancholy accounts we have alluded to. Besides, we know that a strong detachment of the Gth Dra goon Guards, on the route to Sheffield, men and horses all fresh and capable of a much longer march, had any manifestations of riot required it, stopped yesterday about eleven o'clock at Islington, and were quartered there for the night. Now, though there bas as yet been no rioting at Sheffield, it is not to be supposed that Government would have suffered them to delay their march, had there been any farther tumult in the adjoining districts. Nothing is more injurious in politics, and indeed in alt departments of human knowledge, than those general prin ciples which are supported by sects and parties as abse lutely and unconditionally true, to the exclusion of all other views and considerations. In nothing is this more observable at the present day, than in the popular doc trines of free trade and the evils of excessive population. That free trade in general is desirable, and that a popu lation exceeding the means of subbirtence is injurious, are truisms which cannot be denied, and which no statesman could be justified in neglecting ; and they are at present so generally admitted, that it is of more importance to point out the abatements which it is necessary to make in these general principles, than to insist upon the principles themselves, These reflections have been suggested to us, by observing the causes which are assigned by different parties for the distress 'which at present undoubtedly pervades most parts of this country. The principal of these causes may be re duced to two :—First, to the policy of our Government with regard to trade ; and secondly, to excessive production, u the natural consequence of excessive population. To these general heads all the assignable causes of the actual dis tress may easily be reduced. With regard to the commercial regulations of the coma. try, there are two points on which the conduct of Govern ment has been blamed by the advocates of the exploded doctrines of political economy, viz.:—the encouragement of mechanism, and the adoption of liberal principles in the import trade ; and there are, too, the banking system and corn laws, in which they are accused of not carrying the principles of free trade to the full extent of which they are supposed to be capable. - - . It is not necessary to go to much length in showing the folly of the popular clamour against improvements in me. chanism. If such improvements ultimately tended to in. crease the wealth of the few at the expense of the many— if no provisions existed in our present institutions for the gradual distribution °Cale general wealth among all closes of society—these improvements would beam great evils, re- doubtediy, u they are by some asserted to be. But • •• - ..::.:' r -- : ... moo Arta■ . •