The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-05-23 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS—Lisiussu 51st The Bishop of K dial*, one of the Ir:ah Representative Vres latet, was sworn and took his Seat. The Sills upon the Table were forwarded in their respective stare. Among these, the Irish Si • • Warehousing Bill, and the 1 01 gutter Peeking Bill were reed a second time—And tie Hank of Ireland Debenture Payment Bill, pawed dlti mOll • Committee of the whole House, and was reported Without amendment. The LORD CHANCELLOR quitted the Wodlsack, and stated, that in conisemietice of the Order, their Loididiips were bow to proceed to tint hearing of the Appeal Cause from Scot. tend, whereat Mr, Cunningham, Graham was the AppelLint, and the COUlltirel of Glelicanne was the Respondent q and that Leung ver7 sivarle related to the Noble Respondent, he should wish to be absent during the discussion. On saying this, Ilia Lordetrip ervhdrew fr,ilD the Hots , * Lord lEileithoroush then took his west, as Speaker of the HORRID, end Counsel were railed in. inc Counsel forth. AppelLtot are Messrs. Alexander and Gram. lo)thr Respondent, the L ord Advocate oi Scotland, the tioficitor General of and Mr. Adam. Mr Alexander was brad at mnie length, as leading Coun sel, kw she Appellant ; shut which, the further hears ig upon tlie c. was adjourned tilt tosroormw. DEFENCE ACT REAL BILL. Earl SPF.NCER moved, " that this Bill be now read a third time." _ Leith ELDON rose, and Made a variety of abser. yahoos against the measure, rather explanatory of what he had advanced on a former evening, than eliciting novel or additional objections. After al luding ro wiiat had berm stated by a Noble iies vaunt, net then in his Mace, as to the causes of the , dimmuriou of the Military Force of the country, at the close of the last war, end also respeding the im -1 sense levies which were made about toe commence ment of the present war, which, however, indicated bet A want of eigout in an Administration, repeat edly asserted to be destitute of energy, his Lord ship pointedly adverted to the clause in the Bill. which evaded the remission of the penalties, under this Ad .it } the 44th of the King, while it totally pined over those of the 43d. Fat tile penalties of the At about to he repealed, were lenity, in com parison witti those enacted by the Amy of Restive AO. ; this seemed to him an inconsistency. Besides, he had to put it to their Lordships, how the mea . ante of the repayment of penalties might operate in the way of precedent ? On these topics, the Noble and Learned Lord expatiated sonie time, and to which he felt it bit duty to call the attention of the Hoene. • The Earl of ROSSLYN contended, that there WAS 110 ilicou.i.tency is enintcing the one species of penalties, to which the Noble and Learned Lord had referred, and remitting the others, which were to be done away by the present bill. As to the idea of tie repayments operating injuriously in the way of precedent, lie had no tears ea that head, as he believed money paid into the Exchequer, was rarely recur nod ! (4 /eve.) i • lord ELDON spoke in explanation, with respeft to 11. e appropriation el those penalties to which he akrad alluded ; and on the general gustation, urged the impolicy of repealer% such a measure as the Defence Atl. until another of equal, er nearly equal ° I elliciehey. was ready to be substituted. Earl SPENCER expressed his surprise that the I Noble and Learned Lord, should thus come down on the question for the third readiag of the Bill, , and offer deteiled objections, to certain parts of the Bill, when the regular oppnrtnnity of doing so w 'in the Committee. With reaped to.theremisaiegt the penaltits, he contended, the measure Witt , . oily consistent, but just, as the Bill would, without loch a pov oilcan, prove SIR Rqsully oploossive and 1 , absurd measures; absurd, by not relieving those t obstacles to the recruiting of the Army, which it I' was one great object to effect. The Earl of HAILDWICKE made a few re , p marks on the occasion, which seemed principally to reter'to the pending Bill for the repeal of the I-ish Defence Act s which measure, on aecesnt of the • different circumstances of the two countries i in think rearm (principally from the consideration that ell sash reprices vete is Ireland supplied by the public purse ; stehereas, here they were borne by the respective - counties) was; he considered, very distiact from such a Bill, as applicable to Eng i lima. Lord HOLLAND pointedly noticed the grounds me 'Which the Noble Earl chiefly commented upon she mil now before the House. and which appeared tee him equally irvelevant and extraordinary. When the Measure, adverted to by the Noble Earl, should WWI before the House, those topics could then re f gularly be discussed. The Earl of HARDWICEE spoke in explana tion. Earl SPENCER observed, that what had fallen from the Noble Earl would be fit matter for consi deraion when the Ball for rite repeal of the Irish Ada, should come before the House. `The question was then put, and the Bill was read a 3J time, and passed; and a message ordered to ac quaint the Commons, that their Lordships had agreed to the said Bill, without any amendment.— Asijour ned till to-morrow. —......... FIoUSE of COMMONS. '•—• Lard John Tnertesheod presented, by command of His Ma. Jest„ a i ecrou'd of the Eittraordieary Serviers, from t h e 95th oaf seirtp i,lier„ IC*, to the !slit of December, 1•05. pith a duplumte there..f. Orderipif to Peels Ivry obits. •-' 4 • . Mt. Alder's ,r, Coombe bioeght up a Rill for repealing the repos NET Read • fire, and ordeied to ibe read a second Haile. Tbe Walt R. venue. Crilleefien Rill passed through a Com- ORMie, mid the revert ass ordered I. be received to morrow. On the Vllllttlill of Mr. FOSTER, it was ordered, th a t the Heeree should to-mormw resolve itself into a emeeinee, to curbside, ni the Irish Mail Coach AIR, of the 45th of the King. Mr. Ale,:ander brought up the report of a ISM to ararrild the kieft Met Duty AR of the last 'moron. The Phil, with the MMiladmenta, was ordered to be engrossed, and read a thud ' . ? " I" rfe "l A .M l::::df .. r alto brought up the Report of the Committee 4 ' ',Wale kish Stamp Doty Bill, which was agreed to; acid the , s _arrerutione of the Committee of Supply on the Army Rsti• end s, wh.ch WWI read a second time, ai.d agreed tn. uti the roman of Mr. VANSITTA It 1, the third tearful of the Pruiterty Duty Rill, was deferred until to-ruorruw. Mr. Meus, from the India Board, presented various Papers ... respecting the Cia:nu of liidividuak ou the Nabob of Ow,, white were ordered to be printed. M. FOS ILK 'waved the Order of the Day for the 'mend reading ut the Bill respecting the Dram-Nark on F ote t n b oen ,. After a tee words (rem Lord Tk NIPI.V. ar.d Mr. CORRY, Bill, inasmuch isish arid Scotch out to press o.e wisich Day it a is • Mai*, ti the extreme importance at the I as t uut cute efiectrit the !nth, but the Eng, hleasu:atteees ays; Mr. Punter 4nnientrd nu aotra4-4 asednog rout Wiktii•td.ay mat, fur rut au:4,04.10j unfree. • • Lord ?EMMY. mo.ett i , rs that the,- be laid berate 01 El , tust, au Actuuirt o: Irish 1.1., $, nut exceeding Mil we`.' 6 i Ineamii: deported to the West holi e s, from 41w C Ist Of Jmu are, 1)96, to the 31st of Deceinhet,illo3, inclusive " 01• dered. The Irish Defence Hill was read a second time, and adored to be committed to-morrow. A Message hoot the lords iisfortw,rl the House, that their Lordships had agreed to tie Addition d Force Repeal Hill s wit out say any mime its and to serval I)6ra:en:lN The he.retaty at tt,' sr brought op the Mutmy Hill, which was r••ad first time, and ordered to be read a second time on 11 olio , dor next. Mr' RCMP: gave notice, that he would to morrow mots for c 'nail' Accounts whirl, he thought necessa-y to he produced, in ct inentretice of whot the Noble Lord (11. Petty) had lest night OW, iel.title to the IsUililC ce.unti, and the state in whit* they remained whey tired into, and tinsettled , and by I the productioi. of thwart A-manta, he hoped he should be able t o n ee • wet w h o i i , n e de,amtera. and who were not; and he hoped that .itch as were proved to ov no, be their rank or tvm sentience what it may, en thou " the great axe world tall and that they would be treated with every severity their con datt merit. Ile promised to send the Noble Lord : c opied Of toe Motion• lie should make, awl the papers con tained in each ; and if the Noble Lord could make any, addi, Non to them, ao as to render thou more complete and tr. fie:tin, be should he very much obliged to him, and woult readily insert them for that porticos, his wish being to obtain • the most complete discovery that was passible. Sir J. NEWPORT moved fur leave to bring in a Rill to enable lin Majesty to accept the services of the Militia of Ireland, under certain restrictions —Genrd. The report on the Elee'ion Treating Hill was brought up and agreed to, and the Hill ordered tu be read a Hind time SO Monday seMnight. 1/11S11 CUSTOM Wry . 1t114.. Sir JOHN NEWPORT moved the order of the day for the House to resolve itself into a Cum. muter on this Bill. The Hodge having resolved itself accordingly, on the Resoltutoa being reed, that there be granted a duty of 28s. a ton on Iron; Mr. FOSTER said, he had not supposed tl:e Right Hon. Baronet nteata seriously to persist in the pro pasr,.. duty on iron, alter a similar tax had been rejeaed in England. on acceunt of its impoli tic pressure upon all the mannleaures of the coun try, and its consequent ex...mien-in to the . poorer classes of the community. It this WAS found to he a weighty considerati‘m in Eaglard, how much more ought it to operate. whets the comparative po verty of Ireland was contemplated. The proposed duty would cause an increase of twenty per cent. in the price of iron, and prove almost ruinous to the infant inanttleaures of that country, as no ceunter veiling duty WAS allowed on their introduelion into England. A drawback was provided, in the case of the small duty of Se. per cwt. on sugar, and yet to countervail the much more material tea *non iron, no increase of drawback was allceecd. Tee measure, it c.-dried in its present shape, would de feat itself, as not a saihing of revenue weald be derived from it ; as it was only calculated to pro duce 15,0001. he hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would adopt some of the many preferable means that presented themselves of raising that sum, and prevent the dissatisfaction that would ensue in Ire land, if, whilst in this ample and opulent country the rat upon iron was abandoned as oppressive, it should be inflitted there. Mr;ROSE thought it was impossible the Right Hon. Baronet could press the tax, as even in case of providing a sulfide:it countervailing duty, if 014 manufattures of Ireland were like those ot Eng- ' land, the mixture of foreign with native iron, would prevent its being embraced. He was sere the tax would produce nothing; and he w.is also of opinion, that in estimating the duty on sugar, the Right... Hon. Gentleman had calculated upon a greater average price (.50s. per cwt.) than it would be found to bear. It was alus„ecther a new and ex traordinary measure to make a provision of tem porary WarTaties-to pay a permanent Loan ; and even the provision made would fall greatly ehott of what it- was estimated at. 'Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, that the tax on iron was in no respeCl similar to that which had been relinquished in this country. as that now pro posed was only on foreign iron.' .If a tax could only be fairly imposed, by laying countervailing duties, how did it happen that, since-. the Union, no less than five angmentations of duty, amounting to 21. pis. per ton, had leen laid on in Great Britain, without any countervailing duty in Ireland And such being really the case, how could Ireland want a countervailing ditty for a tax of 11. Ss. 'I he Right Hoa. Gentleman (Mr. Roe.) had himself furnished an authority to shew that a countervailing duty was not considered necessary, as in the act of 44th of the King, exp. 57, in the Schedule, No. 1, iron and hardware were not included. The Sugar Duty had been calculated in the fair way of -an average of two or three years, and there was the strongest assurance that it would be produc tive. It was said, that he (Sir. J. Newport) had made no provision for the loan ; the charge, how ever, fur interest this year, was 268,8661. ; and, as the Ways and Means were taken at 333.2491. there was a surplus of 64,3741. for the security of future interest, in addition to the estimated duty of 60,0001. on sugar. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by 'eying, that he certainly held himself bound to persist in the measures he had proposed. Mr. FOSTER said, that the situation of Eng land and Ireland was such, that, although the former could afford to relinquish the advantage of a coun tervailing duty, the latter was not in a condition to forego the proteetion of it, and aUow this country an advantage. The doltrine of the Right HOW. Gentleman, that because an article was not found in the first Schedule of the Ali be-had quoted, a countervailing duty was not to extend to it, was quite new, a id exiemelv dangerous. Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, he did net merit that it was not competent to Parliament to extend that duty : but he would ask, since the Right Hon. Ge.alernan seemed so strenuous for the coun tervailing duty, why it had not been called for in the case of the duty en Cotton Wnol, which had been imposed since the Union Mr. ROSE said, that duty was only a penny per pound, and not an objet of great coastquence ; and he thought no emission <eight to lee pleaded as a precedent for not now pursuing the right course. Mr. CORRY said, he was glad to fee the prin ciple of the Union so well agreed opts. Un doubtedly, a countervailing .deity ought .to be laid in either country, for a duty imposed on the ether ; and, therefore, the tax now proposed would have the effect ut equalizing what, by the increase of duty in this country, since the Union, without a ceuutervailiog duty in Ireland, tad been made unequA. He hopi•lthe %gin llon.Baronet would Inalte the duties on ,Ireland perpetual, inste.td of an nual and uncertain, as they now are. • L'rd CAS rLF.ItI.IAGH spoke at some length on the necessity df irnmedi itely remedying any breach or urais.ion of the enactments of the MI of Union. He thought the tax on iron would have the eff' of destroying the produce of the duty 41- toady imposed. Mr. GRATTAN said, he was not a friead to the duty upon icon, but he submitted to it, as the beta in the choice of When Gmtleinen oh jeCted to a tax because it affecied the manufaCtures, and condemned the tneasures by the Right, Hon. Baronet was to raise a considerable revenue, would they be so good as to point out what course of taxation could possibly he adopted, by which the manufaelures of the country would not be af fetied. lie would not accede to the diity on Iron, if it violated a principle of Use Union ; hot it did not appear to him to do so. Ti. duty on sugar, as sufficient was provided without it, to cover the loan, was imposed, because a duty was also im posed its England, and be considelesi atoll.: intended as a security for the furtive interest of the Loan, in addition to the faith of Parliament. He admitted the Iron Duly was rather a strong measure, but he did not know and that would be less severely felt. • Sir WILLIAM YOUNG, Mr. PARNELL, and Mr. HUSKISSON, said a few words in op. position to the taxes. On account of a verbal omission which Mr. Foster pointed nut, the committee did not proceed in the bill, hut the Chairmari reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again to-morrow, wEsT INDIA AND AMERICA INTERCOURSE RILL. Lord TEMPLE moved the Order of the Day, for the House to resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to consider of a motion for leave to bring in a Bill for reguarling tar intercourse be tween America and the West Indies. Mr. ROSS said, the interests of a great body of men would be very neeteriajiy 41ft-fled by this Bill, which had cawed great alarm in the country. and he thought the Bill should not be pushed forward without great and serial's consideration, or without the concerns those interested being submitted to a Committee above !tams. Mr. Secretary FOX said, that if ever there was a Bill which ought not to give any alarm either toe any particular ChM of TM n, or to the country at huge, this must be that Bill ; it repealed RO law it was no permanent matter ; it established no sys tem ; but left the question entirely open, and only went to do that legally, which had formerly seen done illegally. He could therefore stet no reason why any hesitation should he made in bringing in the Bill, nor on what possible ground of reason the Bill could be objected to. Sir W. CURTIS said. the Governors of the Wert Inuits Islands had always aged on their own respon sibility, which made them extremely cautious how they admitted any other than British ships to carry the produce of the Coloniei, belt this Dill w.,uld give a facility to foreign ships to— , The SPEAKER said it was his don to enforce stantieerg Order of the louse, "that in a ques tion of this nature, there can be no debate allowed but in a Committee," and that his leaving the chair would give an opportunity far the debate taro on. "foe House then went into a Committee. (Mr. Alexander in the Chair) „,.• in which, Lord TEMPLE sail, he flattered himself be should not have accasion to Lillie up much of the time of the Committee, in order to thew the propriety of bringing irethe present Bill, the gismo% of which wa', to do that legally, which hitherto had been done lea •gal means, and to take ti:f the rev:Dori ! hiiity from the shoulders of the Governors of the several Islands, for the purpose of placing it on those of His Majesty's Council. He hoped the House would never forget the Report of the Committee of ' the Howse of Representative, in the Island of Jamai ca, which stated, that during the American war, I 15000 Negroes had died, in that 'shad. for want of proper food, which they could not get from any other quarter but America—that it was highly in cumbent on the Committee, and on Ole Government else, to consider how very valuable the Ne; . ;roes in the West India Islands are to the planters, and to this Country also, as the only mans by which the Islands can be cultivated, and the produce contribute to the revenue of the country—that besides the argu a tient on the score of humanity, there was also a very strong one on the score of policy; and it was surely ood policy at the preaent moment, to convince so large and useful a body of men as the Negroes were, that we were desirous to adopt every measure likely to obtaio them proper food, and a sufficient quantity of it. in order the more closely to attach them to the government under which they live.—lt was not. however, food alone, that was wanting to the West India Islands: all the materials, or at least the rreatest part used for making hogsheads, and other irticks, for bringing home the West India produce, which were all included under the general head of lumber, were obtained from the American States. It had long since been ascertained, from practice and experience. that the principle laid down by the navigation laws, that no communication should be held with the British Coles:Res, but in British %skips, was impossible to be adhered to in time of war; and if the Committee took into consideration all the risks the merchants ran, it was hardly to be ex- Wed, that those rules which ware calculated for times of peace, could be strictly aped upon in time of war. By the last *deices from Jamaica, the ;Lieut. Governor had been opliged to follow the es ,-ausple of his predeceaurs, who had uniformly, for a series of years, taken on them to dispense with; the Navigation Laws, and then cunse to Parliament for an indemnity, which the House has not, in any aloe instance, ever declined to give., The object of 'the Bill was, as be had before stated. to rem.me that responsibility to other shoulders, and make that legal, which was before the contrary. He moved, therefore, tt that th Chairman be ilstrufted for , leave to bring in • Bill, to audio! use the iin eortati m aad exportation of certain goods to and from the West-India Islands to America, and to end from America to the West-India Island., in -ileumsl vessels. during t time to be limited." On the question being read from the Chair, Mr. RUS Objected to it, sod said the Right Hon Secretary (Mr. Fox) Lad not considered this -matter so maturely. nor did he seem t ) hint to un derstand it with that accuracy, which was ustal with him on subjects in general He could nut, for his ow.) part, but feel much alarm on this sm,. ject. An Act passed in 1731/, to regulate the trade with America, and by that it was declared, that voile but British ships should take awaytthe prnduee of the British Colonies, though such produce was allowed to go to the American States in British bottoms. The Island of Jamaica had rernonstran4 against tkis by the Report alluded to by the Noble Lord, and these eompl,tints were referred to a Committee of the Privy Council.. Witnesses nserc examined on both sides, and the rrsult was a Report from the Privy Council, that thew was no occasion for those complaints, and the ordet was enferc,A, and the Island-of Jamaica, from 1784 to 1799. had been regularly and constantly supplied with pro visions and lumber. in as great plenty, and at es 141. prices, as ever they had beer. before. The.Riglii Hon. Geutleolan then went into a long, statement; o f the Sh;pliiil oshich had sprung np id the Writ . India Hands Prom that time, =0 he 4 , Snut . :l it had been reduced itnee 170; Lilo' he admitted Oki, redoilhas or fallro:r off we, not raving or impua. table to . rirdiVest'india trade; brisAn our.commer c;al treaty with America. In (ate of war, There ware not a sentient nymber of lirltish ships td car: y the produce tea and from America, and thtt s• fore the Goveraors had been obliged to gernt leave to neutral shipi; but this they did .on. th4ir trAir responsibility ; and he thought they would he very Cautious how they gravrted that—much more irr, indeed, than if all teipnnsibility were taken floe) then?, and they were allowed ttract without it. As . matters were at present bituated, not only Brith'h ships, but colonial vessels ahn, have-been driven-orrt. of the trade, and the whole was nowln the bands of the Americans, which was a great i,:jmy to the ship owr.ers and others in this count) y. lie therefore, to have the matter iovesti,:ated Wore 1 Committee above stvits; And if their krport v . . favourable to the 8111, it might be brought i ..-i that Report, which wctild not occasion' a e-1 more than a very few days. It had been rt.. • • him, and that horn the authority of most respyt -', persons, on whose veracity and judgment ne c,.t.'. rely, that it the Government of tliiscratotty will g•..: two convoys a year,every sprtng and tall,to Attie , ir which convoy, would only t eqtofea frigattortwo,ack three or tour sloops of war,"fhe trade {night still Ira carried on lh tritith ships. as well as in Aturrscass bottoms ; and that it would not make, a &detract of two per cent: in the expellees ; .fur there were hundreds of British ships, more indeed 'than he dared venture to name. 1174 acre now lying in the River, rotting for want of err.ploymynt ; -and which the owners would be very,ghid to hire nut for this purpose, on 4441 reasoaabie terms. He rasurel. the : Committee, that be felt as much ansiety .fis the :West India Islands, and Was pe..llapS as dee interested in their welfare. as any man in " House, and should be extremely sorry that any: severity should be used tawards them, *high might operate so as to prevent them srom ols:tip ing due slopjles of either food or limiter ; hut Ise had t:Onsidired the stlblea v&,y "attentively, tie lifii, exerted hinoserf-in a very ,particular mannel its e; tain information relativa ao it irons every quartet that was likeir to afford. stay, and-the rewire% that be wits :stirred in 'his own mind, the .Isle*ie Might be as well and as cooiously st:pollee* British ships, as they coed by el:4<e of Awirricc, jail' therefore great care sl:etil-: he taken hew we f.,afe any -alteration, much noire how we,rt.--oe.ti-;esa K.,,eigation Alt, which this Bill, if p.41341 . ..110 a Os would elicit. The next abjeafon he ii:!eto it din. Elie effe , st it would have °lithe Britisis COnt,itte4l etslonies, which, he contended, would •be vary. It riouily and extensively injured Writ. The nest it wrest ilia would suffer in.cuirstqufince of 'it wo, the British manufactures. partitulatlr linens ati cottons, which would he superseded and sappUltuai by German linens and East India goods. —Aleut which had some time since been received from 41. miral Cochtane, had informed, that the 41.,,,ag we's inundated with East India goods, and German L imns, which were sold cheaper than the British ar ticks of those kinds, and were a sellout injuryto the country. It might, perhaps, be said. that Idn tish ships would also contribute their part to innn datethe islands with East India goods; Lut that was not in their power 1 for if they attempted, it, such goods would be taken by our ships 41 vrar a., cruisers, stationed among the kliffereut islands; or if they escaped those, they would be seizable at 'the different Custom Houses, as contraband. He was well assured, that all the East India goods, car ried into the islands. were by American ships: and that the islands were become a gtaati mart for those goods. The nest interest Oa would be affetted, and that very materially tops was the Irish provision trade; for it was very well known, that the Americans furnished beef and, por k Much cheaper than the Irish can do ; and 'heftier* that article ought Cr) be restrained. instead of boil, as it would be by this Bill, very erattakivrairlf en* larged. If the restriaions be left to our (evert"" on their respons'bility, -.they will 'sweet offer t:-.1 Americans to come in further than necessity, SW" lute and imperious necessity may requite ; Lit a you take off that responsibility, there will be EP' thing to prevent them doing it to any eetent.-- This, he said, was certainly the-worst e lioattmt- Meat for altoptinti; any vrhaxweinn of cur 14avIg'atin1 1 Laws, that could be celetted. He Led Lead a urged. that systems adopted 150 years azo.vestqfh to be departed from, and that they slni.ll4 l b.: ~* tered as the cirritnistances of the tithe!, art a , situations of different countries, varied. Ile a id Dot say that .systems formed 1.50 years. ago ought to be always obstinately and pertinacioaq! ash; red to ;--liut they should not be , n'ti• serially tooken in upon, or alteted, but st.r l most mature - and setioui considrration.—aT lirl were the considerations which induced bias to stiih the Platter to be referred to a Committee whore stairs; and lie ask: I tie Noble Lord, whether, afi'• the case he had made ours ha would pass such Bill as this, without. giving the parties leave to . heard ? He hoped, therefore, he would agree Lc Committee, which would only occasion a 4104 four or five days and he would pledge biro w:lf to at tend, and eipedite the business as much as possib:a I, ird TENIPLE said, he saw no necessity for s;: other Comm , ttee, than that they were in w in. 111 necessity of the :measure stress already ascertained, 1.: rim h i F n • i 4 1 1 ; i i