The Sun. — London, England, 1823-05-23 00:00:00

-would drop the matter altogether, or go on with it. I. was -quite intolerable in itspresent state. NEW WRIT. Mr. STUART WORTLEY moved that the Speaker do issue his writ for the election of a new Member for the borough of Bossiney, in Cornwall, in the room of the Hon. John Wm. Ward, lately called to the Upper House as Viscount Dudley and Ward—Ordered. HALF PAY OFFICERS IN IRELAND. General (MSCOYNE, in rising to submit a motion" for an Address to his Majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to direct that the warrant of the 6th of March last, issued by the Secretary at War, be reconsidered, and that payi men ts to Half-pay Officers in Ireland be paid in British currency, ' said he was aware that to induce the Crown to exert its inter ference in this case., very strong grounds must be laid for such an address.' He begged to assure his Noble Friend (Lord Pal merston) that by this motion he meant not to impute any thing to him-which might seem to deeogate from his well-known 'fthi 'l icy and zeal inahe discharge ofhis official duties.. ( The Hon. and taallant (len. -then explained the principles upon which his mo. ti on was founded ; but the noise prevailing in the gallery prevent ed us from hearing him with any distinctness.) As the regulation :Lc present ex isted,reeidence in Irel an d alone constituted the ground • , ofclistinction made between'officersonballpay in Ireland and half e.' pay officers in any other country. So far from officers in Ire land being paid in inferior currency, they should rather have a bountygiven them for residing intheir own country,and expending; • their half-pay among their own countrymen.—(Cheers.)-:-Supe • pore the case of two officers, in the same regiment, and each having the misfortune to lose a limb: he who retired to Ire. land was, in fact ' to receive the less allowance because he chose to reside in Ireland.—(Hear, heari. ) Could any thing be more hard or more .unjust ' than that a sort . of penalty should -attach to' him who retired to his native home ?—( Hear !) The saving to be effected by this arrangement was very small . (he understood , it 'to amount to 7,8001. in site whole ; but swhen The Chancellor of the Exchequer had so lately given up taxes to the amount of hundreds of thousands of •. pounds, in order to induce and encourage residence in Ireland, tairely this arrangement was at once most inconsistent and most impolitic. The use was one of greater severity, when it was considered that while officers on our half-pay, who enteted into the service of any of the Foreign Powers—and Perhaps of those who were silted against the liberties of Spain,-(Hear, hear:l).-Austria, or Russia for example—were paid in British • currency, Ireland alone was the invidious exception which sub jected them to the loss arising from a depreciated currency. If the regulation was meant to be defended on the ground that the superior cheapness of provisions in' Ireland was to be Consie tiered, the principle ought to be carried farther, .and extend:. ed to those who lived' in Wales, in the north of England, or in any other part of the empire where the necessaries of life were sold at a:reasonable rate. He moved " That an humble • -address be presented to his'Majesty, praying that he would be graciously pleased to give directions that the warrant issued on the 6th of March last be reconsidered, and that the payment cif the half-pay pensions and allowances of the officers in the • ••army and marines, resident in Ireland, be continued to be paid in'Britieh currency as heretofore." Lord,PALAIERSTON said, that the House ought to.take care not to he led away by individual cases, and neutralize in detail those measures of economy WhiCh they were constantly, insisting., upon in 'principle. He recollected. well, that the Gallant Officer had, on one occasion, voted in- support of an augmentation of the pay of the army, and on a subsequent oa casion said,. that lie thought the liberality of Parliament had : exceeded the bounds of discretion. To a certainty the Irish eetablishment had been formed upon principles of great libera. ' lity. There were duplicates of' almost all the offices in the English establishment. The salary and allowances were all paid in the Irish currency. The half-pay was usually paid in English money. But all the fixed offices were paid in Irish currency. The principle which determined the mode of settling the half-pity was most absurd,: as it depended on the place at which the regiment was quartered at the time • of the appointment to the lielf-pay. This regulation was • full of inconvenience and incongruity. It might , happen that two officers of the same regiment, with nearly equal periods of service, would settle in the same villains, one. re ceiving his half-pay in English, the other in Irish currency. :The inconvenience to *widows was excessive, as- they had to remove, sfor the receipt of their pensions, according to the destination of the regiment, with which they no longer held any necessary connexion. I f the motion were justifiable in the case of half:pay, it was still more so in .regard to full pay 01. vets on service in Ireland ; for' thby acted compulsory or. dres—the half.pay officers upon their own will. J'odens—thewill. extend the principle equally to both would cause an increased exej pence of 127,000/. a-year—upon the war establishment 237,0001 But the principle of the warrant was first fixed in 1110 ; and it not only had good sense and reason on its hide, but the firmer ground of a distinct Act of Parliament. lie agreed that it would be unjust not to exempt from its operation those officers who hail entered into permanent arrangements on the faith of existing; regulations g and while he put a negative against the conaented to some measure of exemption in favour those persons.. Sir .1.. N BW PORT said, that much was gained by the mo tion, in the admission of the Noble herd as to themeasonable .ness of the , exemptions to which lie had ulltnied ; but lie did - think the measure itself in any way justifiable anti it was peculiarly severe in regard to the pensions of the Widows. After a short conversation, in which Sir :H. , Viviaat, Mr. ONATTAN, Mr. C. lIITTCIIINsON, 11r. Iltratr, Sir C. LONG, and Colonel DAVIS participated, ' General GASCOYNE said he would consent to withdraw fits =den, in the hope that the Noble Lord opposite would redeem the pledge Which he had given. The motion was accordingly withdrawn. Mr. PLUMMER presented a petition from the Council and • Assembly of the Island of Nevis, praying that the protecting -duty on East India sugat might not be repealed. EAST it Ni) WEST INDIA SUGAR DUTIES. Mr. W. WHITMORE, in rising to move for the appoint. wont or& Committee to inquire into the Duties paid on East and West India Sugars, regretted that a motion so important had not een brought forward by some Member. possessed of greater abi. /4, greater weight, and of fonger standing in that House. His only motive for entering upon it was this, that if he had not done • •so,. he feared the subject would:not have been duly investigated. lie should divide what he had to say under three heads. In the first place, he would discuss the question with reference to the, interests of the consumers. In the second, with reference to the East Indies ; and in the third, with reference to the West fn diem. With respect to the first, he thought it was not necessary the him to trespass long on the time of the. House to prove that the consumer had a right to obtain his ,Sugar on the best Fos ' sible terms, and that this right ought not to be interfered with but on considerations of grave importance, Ile proceeded to mike the prices contended for as remunerating prices by the West Jodie Merchants, and the amount of duty charged on sugars. Taking the lowest estimate of the consumption it would he= fallati that i 40,000 tons were annually demanded,— Ile estimated that on these the public paid a duty of 1,600,000/. Tier annum. That duty, looking at the circumstances which might be expected shortly to arise, would, he anticipated, ere long be increased to upwards of 2,000,000/. With respectap India," he WAS persuaded that some Measure favOurable to its produce 'mum sooner or later be adopted. It this were not done our dominions in the East would he in danger.— , Doctor Robertson , had described the ancient trade with India to have been carried on by the importation of' drugs, t. spices, and iitbercommoditiee •from that country, and by the exportation of bullionfrom Europe. Such the trade had been for centuries, and such it continued down to the opening of the free trade. Several revolutions had taken place in India but notwithstanding theitipse of ages, and the change of -dynasty, no alteration in the commerce between India and Europe had taken place down to the period to which he had referred. The opening of the free 'trade to India had produced one of the !greatest revolutions in ceinmerce which had ever oc curred, and India had been found to offer ft mart for sodafrom tilta country such as could. scarcely have . been imagined by the most sanguine speculator"on the talvanteites to be de rived from the; measure. To sliew bow rapidly the trade in. • creased, ho would state, that the amount of woollens exported in the year, ending January 1015, a%ts 1,031,43 , 1/. In the year ending ,January .71022, thin exports at' woollens amounted to • 1,421,6491. But the most remarkable in crease wiliell'had taken •Fl.ttee., wig the incretee ins the export of cotton in a manufne tured state. 'rho value of these was, in 181 a; 1.09,488 t. in 1822, the exports of manufactured cotton Amounted to 1,122,3351.,' being an inereaac Within that short period of more than one million in value. 'When lie reflected oil the situation of India, and the low . friCeB iii that country, it appeared to him most extraordinary, that, V means of our steam engines, and:our • power-looms, British trailers were enabled to import the raw • material front India, and sublequently esport It in a manufitee' turod-state at such IoW prices as to undersell the native rittutti l.facturer. .This lie considered .One of. the most extraordinary triumphs of skill, and industry which had. ever been known in • any country. .But while exulting in this triumph, they ought not to, forget the effects which it produced i l hulls. He be lieved the native manufactories in the neighbourhood of. the Presidenceg ' which had existed from the earliest periods, had b ee n, destroyed. This alight prove a blessing or a curse to India, as that House should detennine. It might prove a blessing if they , gave encouragement to 'the consumption of those articles •w tick the natives of India could produce with advantage. to themselves and .benefit to others; but these b e i ng excluded-from English consumption, than the destruc tion of their iiutnufactories, he did not scruple to say, there' had never biten cornmittel an act of greater injustice and atrocity. The sittnition .of India was not unlike the former situation of ,Ifeland. , Before - the 'American war Irish pro =duce was not, allowed to conic into this country. - Mutt .was the reoult? Why, in the midst ofa diaastrous war, Ire. land claimed her HA: with the bayonet, and an Act then passed which the House had previously refused to sanction, under which the produce of her soil could be brought here. Could it be supposed that the same line of conduct pursued in ,India would lead to a differcnt result. lie considered that it would be as unjust as it .was unwise to Itssume this *or the unwarlike character of the nadirs. Did not the existoice of our Indian empire depend . on thesepoys' arms%--on the feelings ; of the population, and on the native bayonets._ These turned against us, our empire could not last for a day! It must perish,t -" And, like•thehaseless fabric of rs-Vision, :Leave not a wreck behind." It was supposed by tome that there was no danger of foreign invasion. But India had formerly been invaded; Supposing a second ; Alexander, overcoming another Darius, should find himself on the banks of the Hydaspes, he would ask if no danger was to be apprehended from the natives availing them selves of the opportunity thus offered of shaking off the yoke which the conduct of England had - made intolerable ? He would say that they oughtuot to trust with too much secnrity, to the peculiar character of the people, or sooner or later ,they would rue their impFdence. In the present instance that, change.which besought was as much called for by our own interests, as by the obligation of justice and religion.. He would ask, if the loss of our trade with India could be contemplated with indifference? The importance of that trade, if under-rated here, was not under-rated abroad. He • had never spoken with a foreigner respecting the East In dies, who did not attach the highest importance to it, yet, never had a trade been so overlooked as this had been. He thought every man must feel the importance of increasing, as much as possible, the general commerce .of the country. Who could look at the distress lately known, and at the seeds of future distress, now faintly discernible, without feeling, that to in crease our trade, if possible, was a positive duty. There would be no difficulty in the way of increasing our trade in In. if this country would take in return what India could pro.. duce: But this princple must be admitted, or the ' present trade. could not continue. If India offered a fair pros- . pect of an increase of trade, no, man could deny its im portance. This must be the more felt when the house re membered the inducements held out in various quarters to transfer capital (rota this country to places where it might be more advantageously employed. He had stated that the an cient commerce with India led to the exportation of bullion from Europe, but in consequence of the changes which had taken place bullion was now drasin from India. It was quite clear that this could not last long.. Bullion was not the pro. duce of India—it had always been carried thither from Europe and therefore it was quite clear that a trade which brought - bul! lion thence must shortly stop. With regard to the Nt est In dies, it was said that they had a right to the continuance of this duty.. He asked them what right, and they said the right of charter. , But looking back to the duties which had here tofore existed, he saw nothing like the recognition of any such charter. He found that the duties were the same for the East as the West Indies, and sometimes even below, down to the year 1707. He then found that there was an ad valorem duty of 37/. 10s., and when the price of sugar was low, this duty would be a lower one for the East In ? dies than for the iVest. In 1003 the duties were altered ; but. there was no protection given until 1013, at the time of opening the trade. Then a duty of ten shillings was certainly put on ; . but he was convinced that it was put on without that grave consideration which the subject deserved. To those who demanded the continuation of the duty as a part of the Colonial system, he would say, that them was now nothing left of that system.--(H hear !)—There was nothing of it left but that part which ao'mpelled the Colonies to consume our manufacture. And it should be remembered, that we exported to the East Indies as well as to the West. When the altera. don of these Duties should take place, and he knew they would, sooner or later, he trusted that the ghost of the Colonial system—every remains—the last shadow of it, would be en tirely destroyed.—(Hear, hear !)—But even supposing a Char. ter to exist, which he wholly denied, it would tbrin no insur mountable objection. Of all the Charters for which the people of this country might have been supposed to be anxious, and ready to stickle, be should have thought that one, the first which gave to agriculture the protection of excluding Irish pro. duce from our markets previous to 1806. Yet that restriction was removed, and it wax to the honour of the agricultural classes, that now in the time of their great distress not a word had been heard in that House, and scarcely out of it, complaining of the measure. It was said that the time was ill chosen for making the pro position, when the %Vest Indian Planters were in so much dis. tress. He felt as deeply as any man fur that distress, and he should be the last to propose any thing which he thought would increase it. But be was convinced that it sprung from other causes, and that monopoly would give them no relief. In his opinion, before they would acquire prosperity, a change in their system was necessary. And if the House would give him leave to chew that he did not say this without supposing the change practicable, ha would state in what he thought the change ought to consist. They must abolish their system of slavery. While it continued they never could compete with the produce of estates cultivated by flee labourers. This had been exemplified in all ages, and was not only the assertion of political economists, but of every historian who treated of the subject. In Russia the same effect .might be traced, in Po. land, and in South America. Mr. Cox spoke of a Polish Nobleman who unfranchised seven villages, and in ten years the produce of his estates was trebled. It might be said that this would not apply toehe West Indian Colonies; but he was prepared with a case in point, where Mr. Steele pursued the same course upon an estate in Barbadoes, and with exactly the same result that the produce of Isis estate was trebled. He un derstood it to be the intention of Ministers to meet his motion by giving up the five bbilline duty. But he should not cam promise the question; and it the . Committee were not granted, he should feel it his duty to divide the house. He was not calling upon Members to take off those duties, but only to in quire and see what could be done upon the subject. He ac,. cordingly moved " That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the Duties payable on East and West India Sugar. ' Mr. C. R. ELMS, after complinicnting the talent of the Hon. Mover, said, that this was not a. question of detail, but one of state policy,- of high principle, of vested intereats and of antecedent obligations. It was whether they should en tieely destroy the West India Sugar Colonies, and all the herein British interests connected with them, for the purpose of en: couraging certain new ,East Indian epeeultstione.—(Hear !)! This was the real practical question for the House to decide, when the subject was divested of those collateral topics with which it had been mixed up in former debates, and particu. larly that of the principles of free mule. He did not intend to deny the soundness of those prin:iples, but he reected their application to this case. The Hon. Member asked for the equalization of the duties on East and West India Sugars, but lie said nothing about taking oft' the duties on foreign sugars.— ( Hear, hear !)—All that the East India Gentlemen asked for was, not the ado)Stion of the principles of free trade but for the transfer. of a monopoly.—(Hear, . hear !)—With regard to the Colonial system, being catabliebed, it would neither be sound Isolicy nor justice to destroy it. The Colonies were established to favour British commerce and manufactures, and, the exclusive supply between thein'and the country was mu tual. We compelled them to take no other manufactures than our own, and the taking their sugars exclusively, was a consi deration for value received. What the West Indians claimed Was, that no other British subjects should have this right, who were not subjected to the same conditions, Th e East India trade was not placed under the same restrictions, and had not there fore the same right to protection. The Hon. Member then enu merated the restrictions- which still remained and said they were inconvenient, and onerous to the cohiniest, and greatly enhanced the value of their prodtice: The Hon. Mover had said that he was ready to remove those restrictions ; and he should not be surprised if many other East India Gentlemen said the same. He was not addressing himself to them, but to that part of the House who were disinterested in the question, and . particularly to the Members of the Government, whose duty it was to look 'with impartiality to the protection of all the interests in the State. In the Colonies a capital of 1W) milieus had been em barked; and the Importation of a large population of negroes had been 'sanctioned 'by Parliament, who had now prevented the planters from removing them. At the late peace the Go vernment annexed by treaty the colonies of Demerara,' Ber bice Trinidad, Tob age ,. which treaty was confirmed by Par liament, thereby pledging' them:4olmi to the support of the colonial system. Would they so soon after turn round anti say, that the colonies afforded no commercial advantages:, and that the planters should no longer have employneent for the negroes which they had so imported ? Were they prepared to give up the means of keeping up a large mer cantile navy, which had so much contributed to maintain our mercantile superierity ? In the Colonies there was now population mll°llllol* to seven or eight hundred thousand, and isitd the Hon. Gentleman reflected upon what was to become of these negroes ?—( Hear, hear ! ) —Could any other profitable em ployment be found for them P And if nut, what must be the consequence of their want of employment ? Had Hon. Gentle. men considered whet relation this country must after Wards bear to these Colonies ? Must they be kept as military stations, or would they, after the ruin of the planters was consummated, leave them to the negree3, or allow them to connect themselves with any othercountry ? He confessed that these were alterna. tives which startled his imagination, and be trusted that the House would not place itself in a situation which would solve the problems. He had thought _proper to state these as th e j groundi which in his opinion ustified his vote in negativing the motion. e( Hear, hear Mr. K. DOUGLAS said, that be sbould be very well con tented to rent the question upon the able reply of his Hon. Friend. He thought the House should pause before they broke down suelf . vast interests, and examine what they really were. By returns upon the table of the house it appeared, that the amount paid for manufactures annually exported from this country to the West India Colonies, was three millions and a half ; that they were carried by 1,585 ships, of 438,000 tons ef tonnage, and manned by 23,700 men. The Hon. Member contended, that if the restrictions were removed, East India was not a country whose capacity for trade with this country, was equal to that of the West India Colonies. In the branches of the cotton trade, America had distreised India in our mar.. ,ket, and this was another proof of her want of capacity to trade. was perfectly persuaded, by every view he could take of the 2 question, that it would bemost cruel, most unjust, and most unwise, to break down the interests which we had established with so much difficulty and advantage, and he should therefore give his most hearty negative to the motion. Mr. ROBERTSON contended that the state of Society in India was inimical to the labour necessary for the cultivation of sugar. Be described the lower classes of the Indians as bein,„7 so abject as to consider life a burd en . It a pp eare d f rom the Lords' Report upon the Silk Trade that in India they had three crops in a - year, while the Italians had only one : yet so inactive were tittle animals,' that they could not compete with Italy in her silks. At the time of the French Revolution the cultivation of Sugar in St. Domingo was abandoned, and the price consequently rose to an enormous amount. This induced the East India Direct Ors to encourage the cultivation of sugar, and an affluent Company was formed at Bengal, who were to supply this Company with sugar. Mit the fact was, that they were not able to supply themselves, and China and Batavia imported sugars into Madras and Bombay. The Hon. Member opposed the motion at some length. Mr. RICARDO said, that if any Gentlemen were alarmed at the proposition of his Honourable Friend, they must have been greatly consoled by the spe ec h o f t h e Ho n . M e mb er who hadjust opposed it; for he proved that no injury could be done to the West Indies by allowing the, competition of the East.— The Hon. Member for Sandwich had supported political eco nomy, and be should contend on that speech that there was no danger from admitting East India sugar into the market. The speech he alluded to was made in.lBoo. The argument on that occasion was,.that there was no danger from admitting East In die sogars whilst the price was below the price in the Conti nental market. The Hon. Member then read an extract from the speech of the Hon. Member for Sandwich, from which he inferred that East India sugar was to be admitted into the market. Unless the object of the Hon. Gentleman was to limit the quantity of East India sugars, and thereby insure a re munerating price for West India sugar ' he knew not what the lion. Member meant. It was Said they had made a com pact with the Planters of the West Indies. He knew not what that compact was. He could not conceive any country was bound to enter into a compact against public advantage. If any such compact had been made it ought to be rescinded.— The Honourable Member for Dumfries thought the country would lose all the duties to be derived from the West India sugar trade. He did not wish to sacrifice the interest of the I% est - India Colonies. If they could prove any breach of faith, he should not support the adverse interest, b u t h e could not consider that to be the case. How could sugar be imported from the East Indies without giving the produce of our industry ? The same support would be given to our in» dustry if sugar paying duties was imported from the East or West Indies ; the revenue could not be reduced, as Gentlemen contended. Upon what ground could the growers of sugar in the West Indies dahlia separate right to bring their sugar into the market? if they allowed corn from Ireland to compete with the . produce of agriculturists in England, why should not our Colonists In the East Indies compete with the Planters of the West Indies ? Then it was said, what was to become of 700,000 slaves in the West Indies ? He was satisfied the services of these slaves would not be lost. If the Planters could not employ them one way they would another. He thought the admission of East India sugar would be an advan tage rather than a misfortune to the Black population. Be again cited the pamphlet of the Hon. Meraber for Sandwich, and contended there was no ground to withstand the introduc tion of East India sugar. The Hon. Member for Sandwich proved very clearly that an open market for sugar would be to the advantage of the Revenue. In 1802, the Island of Cuba grew coffee only, Which prosied that Planters could grow other articles than sugar. The Hon. Member concluded by profess ing himself an advocate for free trade. Mr. MARRYATT defended the 'West India interest. Those who argued strenuously in support of free trade did not hold the same argument in Leadenhall-street. The fact was, they came to argue for free trade with the profits of monopoly in their pockets He had been charged with not being a political economist. He was a determined advocate for the mainte nance of trade and our Naval power. Trade was a nursery for seamen, and the exceptions he drew from political eco. nomy in favour of Colonial trade were just. He was ready to contend that the growers 'of East India sugar ought to carry sugar to all parts of Europe with advantage, but to force their produce into the English market would be attended with great injury to the Neat India Planter. If they made ;t impossible for the West India Planters to give their negroes freedom, they would defeat the object of improvement in the condition of the slaves. Competition with the British Planter in the sugar Market would force so much sugar into cultivation in the West Indies, that the slaves would be overworked, and have no op. portunity to preparc.for a state of freedom. They had been told of the advantages the British. Ship-owners would derive from the admission of this new sugar trade. The East India Company, in recent resolutions, had, however, made arrange. merits with respect to the ships to be employed in the East India trade, which must defeat the expectation in favour of Ship-owners. He opposed the proposition for inquiry, consi dering that course quite useless. Mr. _RICARDO,. in explanation, said, he had never derived the least benefit froM. monopoly. Mr. WILBERFORCE said the subject was one of great importance, .and that importance would be increased should the House proceed to inquiry. The Hon. Member for Seaford had argued that inquiry would be injurious tq the West Indies. If that was so, the Committee would be cautious in opposing the interest of the NVest India planters; but his opinion was that enquiry would lead to much practical good. He admitted with the Hon. Member for Portarlington, that the Sugar 'rrade in the West Indies would not be injured by the introduction of East India sugar, but the fact did not rest upon individual assertion, it was matter of enquiry. As to the arument that it would be injurious to the plan f or th e abolition of Sla very, it would have a contrary effect. When sugar was clear, the negrocs was worked night and day.—(Hear, bear,' hear !)—But when sugar fell in price, part of the land was thrown out of the cultivation of th a t article, and used for the growth of provisions, which aver(' more advantageous to the Negroes than sugars. In North America, where the slave found a great abundance of proviiiions.and a bad diniate, they increased their numbers; but, in the West Indies, where the climate was congenial, 'and the provisidns bad, they did . not increase at all. • The Island of J ama i ca c ontained 345,000 slaves at the periodwhen the abolition p ro ceeding continence& If they had increased in the aanie ratio as in North America, there would have been eight hundred and ninety thousand more slaves than they have at present. That House, when they abolished the Slave Trade were friends to the West Indians, who now admitted the.fact. Vas there one Planter, alive to his own interest, who did not say it would - have been well if the Slave Trade had been abolished long since. It was truly said the Planters had a !urge capital in the West Indies. Nearly a million of slaves had' been introduced to the West Indies, which produced an amazing capital. He was for the proposition, because he was desirous of strengthening the stem of our Interest in the West Indies. Ho was -anxious to point i out the advant ages w hi c h Might be derived from the employ ment of Black troops. The Spaniards and Dutch had long permitted Blacks to nerve in their army. The Honourable Member contended that this country was under no obliga tion to the West India Colonists. No faith had been pledged to secure the monopoly of the West Indies, but they were not injuring them by the measure in contemplation. It was asked what were they to do with the marine ? The ships. which brought East India, Sugar must have sailors. The system of the West Indies, if inquired into, would appear to bebatl : in the extreme. They' would find by the Report of the House of Assembly at Jamaica, that the interest on the whole capital of-the island did not exceed 4 per cent. In another report they stated that the distress of the island was so great, that there were not less than 80,000 executions in the Sheriff's Court, the value of which was 22,000,000/. sterling. The House ought to promote an inquiry, which would benefit the unfortunate slaves, and the affairs of the Colonists. The great vice of the West Indies was, the desire of proprietors to be absent from their: estates. Sooner or later that vice would be the destruction of the Island. Mr. Wilberforce concluded, by giving his support to the motion. Mr. LICTS — itISSON rose to state shortly, the ►round of his dissent to the motion. He could notadmit all the benefit which was stated as likely to arise from the adoption of the measure, neither could he consider it so injurious to the interest of the :West Indies as it had been described. His Hon. Friend 'said it was a question of inquiry. It might be prOpF to make in. quiry into the relative duties on sugar, but certainly it was not to be made the ground of inquiry into the state of slavery. The argument of his Hon. Friend would have convinced him, had ho not been convinced before he came to the House, that inquiry into the general topics supposed to be connected with the ques. tion was quite unnecessary. He thought the question of slavery had been left to the Government of the country, but his Hon. Friend appeared desirous of pursuing that inquiry on the mere question whether last India sugar ought to be allowed to compete with West India sugar. He was ready to agree with his Hon. Friend, that it would have been for the advantage of the West India planters if the abolition of the Slave Trade had taken place at an earlier period; but he could not agree in the view his Hon. Friend had taken of the state of the slaves in the West Indies. Ile could believe that a rise in the price of sugar might for ce t h e * l aves to w ork h ar de r , b ut i t did not appear that a change in the sugar trade would greatly improve the condition of the black population. If buyers were scarce, the condition of the slave would not be improved on that ac count. On the contrary, the Proprietors of slaves being un der embarrassment, occasioned by a falling off in profits, and the operations of suits of renditione exponas, the slave would be in a worse state. The flourishing Account of the East India Sugar Trade hail been greatly *rotated. If that trade was so prosperous, why did not France, who supplied the Continent with sugar, take the article from India, having the Bengal trade in their hands ? The fact was, all the sugars of France came from the Weit Indies, East India sugar would not afford profits equal to the sugar of the West Indies, which. paid duties ow principles long est a bli s h e d. O ur own lonial policy his, in some degree, altered; and he was quite sure, if it was expected to ameliorate the condition of slaves in the West Indies, the chance of its being accom plished would not be increased by imposing the present dif ficulty upon our Colonies. If he could consider the question abstractedly, he should agree with the Hon. Mover that the interest of the consumner should be the subject of primary consideration. But our Colonial system was established upon restrictions imposed, erroneously, he admitted, by ourselves; and it would be highly dangerous to remove them off hand by a resolution of that House. They were too closely inter woven with a system connected with our own interests. In the present state of supply and demand relative to the Sugar Countries, any change he thought would not lower the price of sugar in this country. He was therefore disposed to say that it' we were ,to admit the East India sugars, there would be no sound argument against our admitting all other sugar growing colonies. Considering all the circumstances, he should be under the necessity of moving the previous question, which the Right Hon. Gentleman did accordingly. ' Mr. MONEY spoke in favour of the motion. He had heard nothing in answer to the able speech of the Hon. Mover; and he considered the opposition to the motion as ten di ng t o wive a monopoly to the West India Proprietors of th e s upply of sugar to this country.—[The impatience of the House for the question, and the interruption which was given to the Hon. Member were so great] that A ME MIZE tt declared that unless his Hon. Frend were heard he should move an adjournment of the debate. Mr. MONEY resumed. The Members connected with the East Indies had given a patient attention to the arguments of those connected with the West Indies ; and it was not too much to expect a similar course. If the claim of monopoly was well founded, what occasion was there for this protecting duty ? The law giving the monopoly, if there was any, would be a prohibition. Mr. FORBES said that a pledge had been given last Session by the Exchequer to the East India Company, that the measure now moved for, would be taken up by Government anti sent to a Committee. Ile saw, however, that the interest of the West Indians in that House was par a mo un t. Mr. C. W YNN said the pledge alluded to, related only to the Os. duty on clayed sugar. Mr. WHITMORE replied very briefly, contending that the case he had made out in his opening had not been answered. He should certainly bring the subject again before the House In the course of next Session. Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— ' For the Motion . . . 34 For the previous Question Majority . MR. M'ADAM'S CLAIMS. - - 161 -1'27 A conversation took place as to going into a Committee'on these. Claims. Thc motion for going into the Committee was opposed by Mr. H. Suniner, Alr. Bankes, and Sir H. Heron, and supported by Mr. 11Iaberly, Mr. Baring, and - "Mr. Wynn. Strangers were ordered to withdraw ; but no division took place, and we understand that it was agreed to appoint a Select Committee. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and at a QUARTER4AST Two o'CLocL the House adjourned. A LIST OF THE MINORITY ON fan JAMES MACKINTOSH'S MOTION, For altering the Criminal Law.—May 21. Abercromby,lln.J. - Gordon, R. Rice, T. S. Allen, J. H. Grant, G. M. Ricardo, D. Astley, Sir J. D. llobhouse, J. C. Ridley, Sir M. W. Baring, A. Hume, J. Robarts, A. Barrett, S. 3.1, Handley, Henry - .Rnbarts, G. Benoit, J. Knight, Robert Robinson, Sir Cleo. Benyon, Benj.• Lennard, T. B. Scarlet, J. Bernal, It. Ll oy d, S i r E. Smith, J. Blake, Sir F. L ea d er , W. S m i t h, %V. ! Brougham, 11. Moberly, Smith, Hon. Rt. Browne, D. . ... _Mackintosh, Siri. Stanley, Lord Calvert, C. Marjoribanks, S. Tennyson, C. Campbell, Hon. G. Martin, J. Tierney, Rt.Hn.G. Carter, J. Milbank, M. Tyn te , C. K. Cavendish, 11. Milton; Viscount Vernon, G. G. V. Chaloner, Robert Monck, J. B. Wells, J o h n Colburne, N. It. M ontgo mery, .1. Wharton, J. Denman, T. Martin, 11. Whitbread, S. C. Duneannon, Viset. Newp ort , Si r J. White, Colonel Ebrington, Visct. . Normanby, Vise. Williams, J.; Ellice, Ed. ' Nugent, _Lord Wood, old. Evans, W. O'Callaghan, J. Wilson, W. W. C. Fergusson, Sir R.C. Osborne; Lord F. ,TNI.LE as. • Foley, S. 11. H. Phillips, G. Buxton, T. F. Folkestone, Visct. ' Phillips,. G. jun. Calcraft, J. Frankland, R. - Price, R. ' PAIRED OFF. Grattan, J. Poyntz, W. S. , Pares, 'rhos. • Griffith, J. W.. Rarnsden 1 J. C. Russell, Lord J. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. CAMBRIDGE, MAY 22.—At a congregation on Wednesday last, the following degrees were conferred Master s. rts.—Alfred Burmester, Trinity College; Jas. , Waro, Trinity. College. Bachelor, in Civil Law. —The' Rev. John I)ight, St. Peter's College. . liachelori of drts.—Frederick Parkin Ifoole, Trinity Col lege ; Henry Wardell, Trinity College ; Robert James Scar. lett, Trinity College; James Badger, St. John's College; George Selby Bele, St. Peter's College; Thomas Bampfteld Utterinare, St. Peter's College; Robert Wooding Sutton, Clare Hall; Charles Toll Keymdr, Corpus Christi College; Evan Lloyd, Jesus College; William Sykes, - Sidney Sussex: College ; William Baker Bere, Emmanuel College ; John Errington French, Downing College. On the same day, Geore Burmester, 111. A. of Balli o l C o l. lege, Oxford, wag admitte d ad eundem. At the same congregation, James . 'Pendell, B.A. of Jesus College, was elected Travelling Bachelor on the foundation of Wm. Worts, Esq. The Rev. George Skinner, M.A. Fellow of Jesint College, is appointed Conduct of King's , College, in.the rootu of ,the Rev. Harry Pearce, 111,A. The Rev. Oliver Raymond, 11.11. was on Friday last in stituted to the Rectory of Illiddlettin, Estex. • • , The Rev. Samuel Raymond, LLB. was en Saturday last in: tituted to the Rectory of Flempton cum Bengrave, Suffolk. The Freneh Papers give an ,account of a ' fiol.. Wei- who had been a sentinel,, shooting hiraself the moment he was. Telieved from his post. They state that he was_ a veteran, thoughonly 27 years of age, and.oliserve that it is not .known what caused this rash act, hut that thii veteran was " a great reader of.novels !" Colonel '74 ENowtTz, a member of one of the first faMilies in Lithuania t who was in the French service at the battle of' Waterloo, and who has for some years resided at Frankfort, embarked lately at Leghorn, accompanied. by several military officers, for Spain.---(Frencla Paper.) Yesterday morning, between nine and ten o'clock, a spirited horse in a gig, passing _through the Strand, suddenly took fright, and by starting threw out the driver. He proceeded with - great rapidity till he reached St. Clement's Church-yard, where coming in contact with a cart t the off-wheel of the chaise flew off, and the concussion of the vehicles threw the driver of the cart, who was riding in it, into the road. This interruption gave increased speed to the affrighted horse, who pursued his way towards Fleet-street with the body of his gig, and one of the wheels at his heels. On his reaching Temple-bar, the body o f the chaise struck at the side of the bar, and threw it nearly across the street. The animal was at length stopped in his career opposite the Bolt-in-Tun. The gig was dashed to pieces, but we are glad to find that neither of the drivers received any material injury. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FURTHER EXTRACTS FROM THE PARIS PAPERS OF TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. (Prom the Monitcur.) NEWS FROM THE ARMY IN SPAIN. LERMA, MA y 13.—1 t was announced that Abisbal was in echelons at Olmeda, Coca, Santa Maria de la Nieva, and Segovia, but we have only found weak detachments on this road. We receive from Valladolid the following re ports, under the date of the llth :-- " The city of Avila having broken the Constitutional !tone, and arrested the. Political Chief, two thousand men entered Avila from Madrid, and set tho Chief at liberty: the Royalist inhabitants fled. " Zamora having declared for the King, desires troops to preserve the tranquillity of the country. Medina, Olmedo, and other communes of this province, have destroyed the stone of the Constitution. " Morillo, on the 4th May, was at Leon with 1,000 or 1,200 soldiers, with an intention of forming an army of reserve. " At Cuellard, nine leagues from Valladolid, some Liber 1 soldiers have appeared. At Sepulveda some soldiers have also presented themselves, and retired after having robbed the churches. They carried off three curis. At Santa Maria de Nieva, the Liberals are to the number of 2,400; in Sony) Sierra there are 900. "Ballasteros's soldiers desert daily,and all the recruits which he had received from the mountains have returned to their homes. (Front the Etoile.) PARIS, 111.117 21. 7 —111 s Royal Highness the Prince of Savoy Carignan arrived at Bayonne on the 10th. A detachment of 100 horse had been commanded to escort him ; but the Prince did not accept them, beiause the safety of the roads rendered the precaution useless. - His Royal Highness immediately set off for the' head.quar tens of the Duke d'Angouleme, under whose or ders M. the Prince de Carignan is desirous of serv ing, in quality of a volunteer. ( From the• Conititutionnel.) CIIAMBERY, MAY 10.—The French half-pay officers residing in Savoy have received notice to hold themselves in readiness for the very pro bable event of their being called into active ser vice, and employed in the war in Spain. (PRIVATF CORRESPONDENCE.) " BAYONNE ) MAY 12.—The troops of the . blockade of St. Sebastian, encamped in a burning sand, are in complete inaction. The garrison send to graze on the &cis the cattle destined to fur. nish provisions for the besieged, without being opposed, and but for the ramparts, it could not be ascertained which are the besieged and which the besiegers. " In the provinces occupied by the French the Spanish Authorities have sent to the Army of the Faith all the men between 20 and 30 years of age ; those who are, serving in the Constitutional Corps are to return within , a limited period, otherwise their relations are to be arrested as hostages, and their property confiscated." ' [Pram the Pilate. j MADRID, MAY 7.—( Private Correspondence.) Our intelligence from the neighbourhood of Valencia says, that the city is amply supplied with provisions and ail kinds of stores, and continues to make a good resistance. Troops and artil lery marched yesterday to reinforce Its garrison. Colonel Velnsco had an engag ement with the i nsur gents on the 28th ult. h t . Yepes, when he drovo them out of that district with some loss. We have news from Seville up to the td of May. The Sitting of the Cortes on the 26th, and part of that of the 27th, was dedicated to the propos -ed law on seignOries, which-had been previously discussed In two former Sessions ; all its articles were approved. Senor Salva proposed that an Address should be presented to . the King, to express the par ticipation of the Cortes in. the patriotic senti. ments contained in the Royal Manifesto to the nation, and tck suggest that, in the critical situa tion of the country, it would be imprudent to dismiss the - present Ministers ,before a n ew Ministry should.be form e d. . Senor Galiano op posed this motion, and brought forward another nearly of the s e t ae i mport ; omitting the point re lative to the - dismissal of the Ministers. His proposition was adopted.. In the sitting of the 28th, the Cortes.were occupied with an applica-, tion.from General Riego, requesting authority to raise a free corps, to be employed against the enemy., This General d eman d e d t h at t h e pen sion.granted to him in isgi should be commuted for a given sum, to, be appropriated to the pri mary expeoces of that legion. -Another proposition on the subject of a new tri-coloured cockade, to be, composed of red, green, and violet, was rejected The law relative to the formation of Foreign Le ions was adopted. In the sitting of the 29th, the law r espect i nz Deserters was approved ; and in that of th e L A of May- the Cortes proceeded to' the electiun' tf the Members of the Bureaux, and appointed hr. Ferrer President for the current m ont h . s r. Miran delivered a very remarkable speech, in which he pointed out how- highly urgent' it was that the Cortes should - take proper steps to provide for the public -service, and to make public functionaries responsible for their cony duct. " The first measure which the Congress ought to adopt," said he, 44 , is to grant the Go vernment all the requisite subsidies.' With money we shall increase our armies,--this will rouse the patriotism of the people, for citizens love to see soldiers well equipped, and will make every exertion to render the nation victorious in the war she is engaged in. The peasantry will gladly embrace a militarflife. Let us then , find these means, and promptly grant therm Lel us fly to the succour of the army, and, that the •war may become Tuitional, -let us rush for ward to attack the enemy who has invaded us, in violation of the laws of humanity and the rights of nations." The : Deputy concluded - by demand ing that the proposition of Senor Sanchez, in the Sitting of the 23d of April, should be carried into execution with the least possible delay. This proposition required that the Government should immediately suggest the means of defraying,tho expences of the war.