The Sun. — London, England, 1823-02-27 00:00:00

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THE COMMISSIONERS for VICTUAL• • LIAW His MAJESTY'S PM 1 7 .1", 4i.e. do hereby give Notice, that on Tuesday, the dth of Nardi next, they Will be ready to receive Tenders in writing (sealed up), and ?real for One Hundred Thousand Gallons of WEST INDIA RUM Three Hundred Q►earters of NEW ENGLISH PEASE; ;rind One Thousand Sacks of IIISKET MEAL; The wholi to be delivered i►►to his Majesty's Victualling mares at Deptford, within One Month. rite Conditions of the Contracts may be seen at this Office, AAA Tender must specify Me Price in Words at length, rind the delivered before One o'ClOck on the day appointed; and the Person who makes Me Tender, or some Perron on hts behalf, must attend to answer when called. for. Ar WALLER CLIFTON. EAST INDIA HOU6E, February' 2ti, H2s. T HE' COURT of DIRECTORS of the UNITED COMPANY of MERCHANTS of E,No i,Aili) TRADING to the EAST INDIES, do hereby give Notice, That the 121UARTERLY GENERAL COURT of the said company, appointed to be held at their House in Leaden hall-street, on WEDNESDAY, the 19th March next, is made -SPECIAL, for the Purpose of laying before the Proprietors, fgr their approbation, a Resolution of the Court of Direr,- kors, of -the 18th December last, granting to Major James Riiett' Carney, of the Madras Establishment, the sum of Thirty Tbon%and (30,000) Bombay Rupees,. at the rate of 2s. 5d per Rupee, upon the grounds therein stated. The Report required by the Bye Law, Cap. Si, Section 20, together with the Documents upon which the said Resolutioil has been formed, are open for the inspection of the Proprie. tors, at this House. JOSEPH DART, Secretary. MUNK INSTITUTION, PALL-MALL THE GALLERY for the EXIIIBIVON and SALE of the,WORKS of MODERN ARTISTS IS OPEN D4ilr, from Ten in the Morning until Five in the Evening. By Order, JOHN YOUNG, Keeper. Admix ion I s.—Catalogus Is. The Subscribers to the Print from Mi. West's Picture of 4, Our Saviour Healing the Sick in the Temple," who have not already received their Impressions, may receive them nput► payment. of the Remainder of their Subscriptions, at. the British Institution daily. ANSWER of the Right Hon.T,WALLACE, M.P. to the ADDRESS from the Merchants, Bankers, Shipowners, and others, connected with the Trade of the Port oltonden, presented on THURSDAY, the 26th of February, 1823, by the following Deputation :—=The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, M.P., T. 'Wilson, M.P., George Bridges, Al derman and M.P., W. Thompson, Alderman and Sheriff, and M.P., Sir C. Cockerell, Bart. and M.P., W. Manning, M.P., Alexander Baring, M.P., John Pea.12%.31.P.... John Plum mer, M.P., W. lialdimand, M.P., W. - Williams, ~ W. Ana M.P., Anal; James Alexander, M.P., .f. I'. D. Alexander, M.P., John Ines M.P., C. Calvert, M.P., J. Marryatt, M.P., k:. Ellice, M.P., Joshua Walker, M.P. Samuel Thorn ton, Esq. Governor of the Russia Company, Isaac Solly, Esq. Chairman, of, the London Dock Company, Benjamin Shaw, Chairman of the Commercial Dock Company, and J. H. Woollaston, Esq. Deputy Chairman of the Continent a l S oc i ety of Merchants, John Wild, Esq. Chairman of the Wine' and Spirit Trade, T. Danvers, Esq. Chairman of the Warehous e . keepers, Robert Smith, Esq. Chairman of the Legal Quay Wharfingers, Thomas Tooke, Esq., and John flail, Esq. ANSWER. ---- GrYTLEMEN,.—It is for the first time, I believe, that it has been the good fortune of any individual, under similar circum stances, to receive from the great mercantile body of the Ctty of London the honour that has been conferred upon me, by this most gratifying Address; gratifying, not less from the senti ments it conveys, than from the manner in which the commu nication hue been made to me. ' If you do justice to the emotions which the sense of such an honour, and from . such a body, cannot fail t o exc it e in a mind not dead to every feeling of honest pride, how hopeless would be on my part the attempt to find language capable of givint.; expression to what I feel at the present mo ment. 1 will, therefore, simply assure you, that I thank you from my heart for Allis inestimable testimony of your regard, and that! receive from you with the profoundest sentiments of respect and gratitude this highest distinction to which a public roan in a free country can aspire, the spontaneous acknowledge ment of his services by a bo dy of his countrymen, not only most important in its intimate relation to the national wealth and prosperity, but at the same time best qualified to appreciate theservices it has condescended to approve. Thankful us I am, 1 retain, however, too just an estimate of the limited extent of my own powers to presume, that any, pos sible exertion of them could entitle tne to a distinction so un., exampled. Much, I must be conscious, is due to the partiality with which my efforts have been viewed ; much mere to the phrposes to which they were directed, and the principles which .governed them ; and, most of all, to the results they were in tended to obtain. If any differences of opinion have existed in respect to the measures of which I have been the advocate, I heve the happiness to see before me a convincing proof that the candour of those who differed from me has never denied to my motives the most favourable interpretation. To relieve the shipping of the country from every vexatious and unnecessary aimplify, consolidate, and improve, the laws by which our navigation has been regulated,--to.giver additional freedom to our intercourse with Foreign States,—to reoommend a system of trade more adapted to the age in which we live, and the enlightened and liberal principles' that characterize it, freed feotti the antiquated prejudices that made us view with jealous apprehension the industry and progress of other nations, and unincumbered by the shackles and restrictions those prejudices had. imposed, --to open wide our ports for the admission and transit of the productions of every country,—to render this island the n universal emporium of trade, and t o see t h e C ity o f London f oet_only the metrop o li s o f t h e fi rst Commercial Kingdom, but the Commercial world itself,—have been the objects, for sonic years, to which the hopes and labours of my public life have t he constantly devoted ; objects of which, through the known the t e cnn of his Majesty's Government, and the wisdom of shalt jr , i i r u e r : , I trust, under the blessing of Providence, we s the accomplishment. If this should tie pity anberadcaligiezeeda--hittfinibsihall have been ' fortunate enough to be in the eoneciousnen °f e l Instrument in the success of such a work, Parity of the countryl,avaientgi , fulffiled my duty, the certain pros. Gentlemen, the grateful retnem b,relllntnc°sfoitithet "day, 1 shall feel to be rewards far beyond any uttnott wish-eP4ssess' and more than su ffi cient to nasty reasonable ambition could cherish. The Assuraneet of this feeling 1 trust will be accepted by you as the beet Aedkti.l Cal? a a offer that my zeal will never be remitted, b een,pl .l ,l l e 7t-ot the duty iniposed on me by the wish yoti have to express 'is lett unperformed, and while it is in N n ' it Y v Pa ioa tv t e itiz e in arly_way to contribute to the advancement of our th e ., aim uommeree, to which may he traced so much of Kreata us tn g s !bleb, as a people, we enjoy—our wealth—our • lu rrotr .,f.--OUT m ar i t i me power—our exalted station amongst tuia.th':Tlil nations, evert of the liberty of this c o u nt r y itself ; *his me ans by whiob 'we have been enabled to bear so glo ktid ..) t ert in re-establishing, I hope permanently, the freedom tee,,,7leridence of Europe. Allow me to trespass one nut gatitilitter aq ynur attention, to express my particular obli-• tendi n :2 o ll l Gentlemen, who have done toe the honour of at kindego'ol7;,tills oceation; and to assure you that your personal l 'Hute 46 IV r' e, COUSAMting to form this Deputation, has : 0 Olt I, oo , l preatton uporemy mind that will remain unaltered gain' of my life. PA I AM E NT. HOUSE OF LORDS, FEB. tfi. Mr. SPICeR,, from Chelsea Hospital, presented in Account of Unclaimed Army Prize Money. Mr. IRtrixo, from.the Court of Chancery (Ireland), present. ed Copies of Legal Proceedings. The Bishop of EXETER moved an Address to his Majesty for the Seventh and Eighth Reports of the Commissioners ap pointed to enquire into Public Education—Ordered.. . The Marquis of CAMDEN preseneul a petition from the Rankers and Traders of Bath, against the Insolvent Debtors' Act. - MAR RIAtE ACT. The Marquis of CAMDEN presented petitio n s f rom th e Parishes of iValeot, St. Paul, St. Michael, and St. James, in the City of Bath, for the Repeal of the Marriage Act. Ile adverted to the hurried. manner in which the old law of Mar. riage was repealed last Session, and observed that a Bill pass ed under such circumstances was likely, to produce all the inconvenience which had ensued. The petttions were se t erally read, and referred to the Committee on the Marriage Laws. HOUSE AND WINDOW TAXES. The,Marquis.of CAMDEN also resented a petition from the Parish of St. James, Bath, praying for the repeal of the House and Window Tax. The Noble Marquis observed, that the intended reduction in taxation would operate as a be.. neilt, but still the House and Window Taxes pressed heavy on a large portion of the population. Country Gentlemen, who had houses with many windows, complained most of those taxes. They still expected a repeal of the House and Window Duties. The Earl of LIVERPOOL wished to say a few words on the subject. Ms Majesty's Government had consented to re duce the House and Window Taxes ; they felt that taking ott the whole of the Assexed Taxes would produce the most cer tain relief; but:, on due consideration, tt was found advisable to reduce some of the most objectionable taxes, rather than get rid of the Assessed Taxes altogether. They found it more just,to the Public to throw off' part or the Window Tax, and repeal Taxes on Horses and Carriages used in Husbandry, re aler than get rid of the Window Tax in Coto. With respect to the tunnies of Country Gentlemen, the relief given would apply to the establishments of all persons, and in some in stances, where the tax could not be considered a tax on lux ury, it was repealed. His Majesty's Government h a d t h oug h t it fair to divide the reduction between windows and other arti des which ought to be the first released from taxation. The petition was read and laid on, the table. 110? DUTY.. - . The Marquis of CAMDEN then presented petitions from Newingden, Limberiturst, and otivt parishes in Kent, praying for repeal of the duties on Hops. The Noble Marquis said, ' the petitioners were numerous and respectable. It appeared from their statement th a t t h e growt h o f hops and induced a great number of persons to inhabit the diftbrent parishes, where in consequence of leis than average corps, much distress was felt. The Noble Marquis added, that it was an opinion among flop-growers that it would be a relief to them to take off the duty. • The Lail of LIVER POO I. said, his Noble Friend was posed to afford relief to disqessed districts, but with respect to the repeal of the tax, much diflieulty interfered. There were persons who did'not wish the tax taken off. The fact was , of all articles relating to agriculture, hops were the most open to speculation. It had been carried to great extent, and the growers were suffering under it. The Noble Earl was', how ever, quite sure that his lion. Friend, feeling for the distresses of particular districts, was disposed to do all that could-be done to afford relief. The petitions were read and laid on the table. The Earl of ROSEBERRY presented a petition from Market beeping, against the Insolvent Debtors's Act. The West India and American Colonies Trade Bill was read the second time. ' The lademnity Bill went through a Committee. Marriage .Solemnization Clauses Repeal Bill also wens through a Committee, and wa reported._Adjo►irned. ROUSE - OF COMMONS. Several Public Accounts-were presented at the Aar, and'pr. dered to lie on the table. Petitions• were presented, against the Insolvent Act from Macclesfield, Warwick, Dudley, Market Dee Ping; Cocker mouth, and Selby and were ordered to lie o n th e tabl e: Whin-MT:4 AND MEASURES, Sir GEORGE CLERK. moved for leave to bring In a Bill for regulating Weights and hidasiarea. The Bill, he said, had been prepared on the principle adopted by the Committee ap pointed to inquire into this subject. No alteration as to stan& and weight or measure was intended. The object of the Bill was principally• to regulate contracts and dealings. With this view it would be enac te d, th a t u ll contracts and dealings should be.understood to relate to the standard weight and measure, unless the contracting patties should expressly stipulate othel'wise. After a feW worcls.frorn Mr. MAXWELL, in support of the motion, leave was given. USURY LAWS. 31r. Serjeant ONSLOW postponed his motion on this sub ject, from th e lo t h to t h e 22 d of March. Mr. CAMPBELL presented a petition from Argyleshire against the Barilla Duties.—Ordered to lie on the table. Mr. O'GRADY' presented a petition from the Coroners' of Limerick against the Irish Coroners' Bill.—Ordered to lie on the table. " RATES. Mr. CIIETW YND CO m o ve d for a Return of the different sums received within the last sevt:n years for County Rates, to. gether with the mode in which the same has been applied. The County Itates i he said, were paid entirely by Agmulturists, though An the inhebitants of each county derived the benefit of them.—Orde rc d, Sid GEORGE CLERK brought in a Bill for regulating Weights and Measures. —Read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday next. SUPPLY. The Order of the Day for the House going into a Committee of Supply and of Ways and Means was postponed to Friday next. The Annual . Duties Bill was read a second time, and com mitted for to-morrow: The Exchequer Bills Bill; and the Transfer of Aids Bill, were also read, a second time, and committed for to-morrow. IRISH' CHURCH RATES. Mr. GOULBURN tneved•for leave to bring in a Bill to alter the present mode of asseasing Church Rates and charging First Fruits in Ireland. The, object of the Bill, the 'bight Hon. Gentleman said, would be to reliev e th ose w h o p a y e d t h e charges in question from the difficulty under which they now laboured in consequence of the alteration in the value of money. After, a few words from Sir Joitx NEWPOItT, and from Mr. Gott!atm.( in explanation, leave was given to bring in the Bill. S URREY P IT. Mr. DENISON presented a petition from the Freeholders of the County of Surrey, convened, as he stated, by the High Sheriff, in consequence of • a Requisition presented to hint signed by three hundred Freeholders of the County. The pe tition itself was signed by five Preholders on the part of the Meeting ; 'and although, technically, it could be considered only es the petition of live subscribers, it was, in substance, the peti tion of the Aleeting. It had been moved by a Noble Friend of his in the other House, and seconded by a gentleman who was in every sense of the word one of a race he feared almost extinct that of a country. gentleman residing upon his oven estate. There were but six or seven diss ent i ent hand s h e ld up aga i nst t h e. petition.' It complained, in Strong lang..tiage, of the excessive weight of taxation, tithes, and rates. It complained also of the expellee of the Administration in its army, gliphanutcy, ant present mode of collecting the revenue. It called upon the House, in the Hilt place, for the most enspuiring retrenchment, repot' and a rep' of the taxes on malt, h oustsi , an d 'windows; the latter he was happy, to know would be partially aecomplisioed by the measures explained by the Right lion. the Chancellor 'of the ExcheqUer, in the 'luminous and able speech which he hadtlelivered to the House on Friday night. The second part of the prayer of the petition was Jro a Reform of that. House ; the Petitioners complaining that a., majority within its walls Was returned by comparatively a few individuals. .There was one subject upon which the petition ,did not touch. lie al luded to the two direful ow:mitres tulopted by Parliament for altering the currency in the. year 1797 and 18Iu, en'the pasa ing of the latter of these measures,' he thought,the standard o f value Ot t& to have been raised t and that, had this been 'done, the arrangement would not only have been equitable, but would have preventeckniich of the distress which had taken place since the latter petiod. The opinions, however, of those who had attended the Meeting in question, had been . much misrepresented on this subject, and the Meeting huff had been grossly . calumniated. lie had, therefore, in defence of his own opinions, to beg permission of the House to state what he had himself, in substance, delivered bo the Meeting ; and he made this request wish the , less difficulty, as it was not often that he troubled the House. Something had been said at the Meeting relative to an attack upon the Tithes and the Funds ; and he. then (he was sure his Hon. Colleague would bear him out in this) distinctly declared that, in his opinion, the Clergyman had as good a right to his tithes, and the I?und. holder to his dividend, as any Nobleman in the country had to his estate.—(Bear, bear !)—Neither he nor his Constituents were advocates for plunder or confiscation; they desired only that the Agricultural Interest might not• be completely ruined; that the country gentlemen might not be absolutely forced out of their family mansions, hitherto the seats of comtort, charity, and hospitality. They Sesiretta reform of that House ; not the sort of reform which consisted of annual Parliaments, uni. versa' aniline, and vote by hall o t, b ut t h at w hi c h would give to the people a constitutional check on the conduct of their Re. presentatives. Captain MABERLY said that, being one of the seven per. sons who we in a minority at the meeting, he was anxious to disclaim, in that House, the senftents contained in the Petition. He did not agree with the Hon. Member that the earliamentary measures respecting► the Currency had been the cause of the distress complained of. He would' also notice a suggestion which had been made at the meeting respecting the appropria. tion of what were called Crown Lands, to a partial reduction of the National Debt. This also he disapproved of. Most of the lands in question were in the hands of those who had vested interests in them ; but- even if this difficulty were removed, be thought their value, compared with the National Debt, too miffing to cause any perceptible difference in the public bur. thens. The' Petition wact then read, and on the question that should lie on the table, Mr. RICARDO said, he could not, for a moment, doubt the sincerity of the sentiments uttered by his Honourable Friend, who presented this Petition, with respect to the claims of the public Creditor. He was satisfied that his other Honourable Friend, 'who had seconded the amendment moved at the meet- Mg in question, had had no desire to sanction any robbery upon the creditor. He thought, however, that both his Honourable Friends had been, on that occasion, extremely vague in the charges which they had brought against the public creditor.... Much had been said about Equitable Adjustment ;" and this too, in a way which would insinuate that the present ar rangement was not so. Now he also was far an equitable adjustment—(liear, hear, hear 1)---and he °loggia that be fore he sat down he should convince even his lion. Friends, that the Stockholder was not receiving at this moment more " than his due. From the way in which many persons talked on this subject, one would re a lly b e l e d to i magine that the whole of the National Debt had been contracted irr a depreciated currency.—(Hear, hear I)—.But how stood the. fact? Taking. the National Debt at present to lie 000 millions, it would ap pear, by easy reference tit the national accounts, that 400 mil lions of this had been contracted before there was any depre ciation at all ; and 100 millions Were at least when the cur rency was very slightly depreciated. Now for the whole of the period during which the eurtency was greatly depreciated the interest on this debt bad been paid in depreciated paper. (_Hear ll—This had continued for upwards of twenty years. The fact to which he referred was clearly demonstrated by the tables published by Mr. Musket, of the Mint. Brittle depreciation the fundholders lost twenty-seven millions prin. cipal money ; and this with compound interest calculated up to the restoration of the currency, could not be taken at less than forty millions. On the other side, was to be considered the advantage 'gained by the public creditor, in consequence of his receiving, in restored currency, interest upon the 404/ millions of the debt which had been contracted in a depre. ciated currency. Upon this pine of the subject Mr. Mushet's Tables were demonstratiou itself, He had taken the amOunt of each loan contracted within this period, compared with the price of gold, and had formed** calculations accordingly. From these it appeared, that the gain to the fundholder on this part of the debt, in consequence of his being paid his divi dend in a restored currency, was rather less than two mil lions a year ; in fact, it was about 1,900,0001. This then, was the state of the case-..the fundholder in the first instance, twit forty millions, and he now gained two millions a ear;y and he needed not to inform the House, that forty millions would have purchased a perpetual annuity of two millions.— , (Hear, hear o—There certainly could be no doubt, that in the intervals between the depreciation and the restoration of the currency much injustice had taken place in the contracts of individuals ; but the question was properly viewed, more extensively, as one between the Public Debtor and the Public Creditor. The opinion which he had formed on the exteut of the depreciation had nothing whatever to do with this ques tion. The calculations he had mentioned, were made with re ference to the price of gold. He should be happy to 'hear any answer which might be offered by any lion. Member against Mr. IThishet's calculations. No man regretted More than him self, the alterations that had taken place respecting the cur rency. But he should like to be informed what degree of alte ration of the standard would be suggested by those who wished to open the question again. When his Noble Friend (Lord Folkestone) had proposed th e fi x i ng of a gold standard at 4/. Is. he (Mr. R. thought it was rea sona bl e enoug h ; but as we were so near the oh standard, he thought our adopting that was to be preferred. The statements, however, which had been made respecting the effect of the alteration, were really most extrava gant. Some calculated it at twenty per cent., others at 100, and sonic at 300 per cent.—(A laugh.)—He could assure the House there were not wanting those who confidently said the taxes had been increased threefold, by the operation of our gislative measures on the currency. If this, or any thing like it, had been the fact, how would Ministers be enabled ttecorne down to the •Ilouse, and describe the Revenue as increasing, and commerce thriving He should not however go at large into the old hacknied subject. He would just inform the House what would have been the consequence had Parliament not pasaed the last measure afibcting the Currency, lie had in his'hand a statement made by an eminent Bank Directo r , w h o bad been engaged in the affairs of the Bank for ninny years, and whose opinions on those atileirs had always been such as were acted upon bythe Bank. This Gentleman (Alt Turner, we believe the lion. Member said), declared that 3lr. Peel's Bill, so 4 r as regarded the conduct of the Bank, had been for the last two year's a dead letter: It had neither advanced nor retarded cash payments, except as to ablaut twenty millions of Exchequer Bills paid by government, winch had enabled the Bank to buy an additional quantity of bullion of equal amount.—(hear, hear, hear !) Mr. DENISOI4,,,In explanation, said ' that : he had, in 1919, stated to several of hi.a Parliamentary Primula that he thought a gold standard of 41: Ss., or even 41. 195., would ,not have been unreasonable. He had not stated his opinion to the Iltntse, because he knew that no suggestion was likely to be attended to which came from his side of the House. Lord FOLKESTONE could not see the analogy of the cases put by his 'lon. Friend (Mr. Ricardo): 'His Hon. Friend had Spoken of the phenomena of anincreaming revenue and a thriving . commerce; but he (Lord k . .) had been Informed by men extensively engaged in mercantile pursuits, that corn. mercy was actually in a state of depression. He way the more induced to think this was the fact, from, the circumstance of an Hon: Member for Lo n don having, on a fo r m er evening, re. grafted that taxes had not been takenoffto relieve the shipping interest. With regard to t h e restoration o f the currency, it was in the recollection of the House, that in the year 1819 he (Lord F.) proposed an alteration in the standard of about fi per cent. ; and that his Hon. Friend had then confidently stated that the alteration would not be more 'than 4 or 4i p er cent . His lion. Friend had since admitted that the alterati on ' went to the extent of 10 per cent. Il e (Lord Folkestone) could not h a . zard an opinion as to the extent of the alteration ; but he had no doubt of its- being considerably more than 4 per cent. When the paper and go ld went tog ether th e p aper alweyi keptdown the gold: Th us was ev id en t femn • the sev ere measures which had been p asse d, d ur i ng t he period of depr ec i e ti on , against melting or exporting the coin. In the fernier ease the punishment was loss of life; in the latter e punishment almost as severe. His lion. Friend had mainly relied upon Alr. Mushet's tables, but he (Lord tho u g ht . that G ent l eman - had: net taken a f a i r v i ew of the questum• 31r. Maghet, h e believed, took his annineweinent of, the depreciation at 1797, , but in point of feet, the depredation commenced' before then, as ear l y i n de e d es 1793. H e thought ful the data of Mr. Alushet were erroneous. The depreciation, far instant*, was much, greater than he had stated it to be; and he (Lord y.) thought too he was wron g w i t h regar d to t h e extent or the a atteratton' oe. casioned by the measure of 11111). lie !legged yartion of the House for troubling them on so dry A subject--4near, hear t)..... but be had done so merely because he had' been referred to by his Hon. Friend. - Mr. WODEHOUSR rose amidst cries of " Question," and it was some time before we could collect the nature of his re. marks. We understood him to confine himself to directing the attention a the House to the opinion of a Gentleman now no more, Mr. Henry Thornton, who stated himself to be unfa vourable to the restoration of the ancient standard after it had been depreciated for fifteen or twenty years. Mr. 110011 1 1, SUMNER said, it was undoubtedly true, that the Hon: Gentleman who seconded the Amendthent at the Surrey Meeting, had loudly discluinied any deeire to rob the Funilholder. But, as he had recommended - what was called an equitable adjuetnient, he (Mr. Sumner) thought, the Hon. Gentleman was bound to bring forward a specific measure on the subject, lest his views should be misunderstood. Of the 300 persons who had signed the Requisition, he believed very fe w attended the Meeting ; and those who did attend, went there under a belief, that they were to discues only the question of Agricultural Distress. For his own part, he did not believe it was lit the power of Parliament to devise a remedy for thatelis. tress..—(Hear, hear !)—,The people, however, who attended the Meeting, had been led away to the consideration of !mother subject, onally irrelevant to that of Agricultural Distresseßeing thus led away, they had introdueed matter into their petition, of Which, did it not come from his Canetituents,htshould . ex press himself in very strong terms. It was state 4 that large ietablishmeota were kept up, nut fur the benefit of the country, but for the advantage of Members of that House. This he be• lieyed to be untrue. As for the Reform in the Perliament for which the petitioners prayed, he had no doubt it would aggra vate the evils complained of. Ile was glad to hear testimony to the fact of his lion. Friend having expressed himself, at the Meethrg, respecting Tithes soul the Funds, in the manner he had; and it wets seareely neceitsary for him to say that in those sentiments of his Hon. Friend he heartily concurred. lie re gretted that the petitioners had introduced into their petition a principle which he could call nothing else than one of spoilt'. non ; and he believed that he might, on behalf of 09 hendredtis of the Freeholders of Surrey, disclaim that principle. A fair hearing hid not been afforded to both sides at the Meeting in question. An lion. Baronet who wished to oppose the amend ment seconded by the lion. Gentleman, could not obtain a hearing; and a Noble Lord who wished also to speak against it lied been grossly insulted. As for himself he must confess. that he had received a much more favourable hearing than he had expected.—(A laugh.) Mr. BENNET said, the Requisition for the Nleeting in question was not confined to th e su bj ect o f Agricultural Dis. treas. That of Parliamentary Reform had been particularly mentioned ; and the Requisition itself was sign e d by thelieke of Norfolk, Earl Onslotv, and many Gentlemen of the first re- speetability in the county. Five had been delegated to sign the petition on behalf' of the Meeting. Of these two were large landowners, and two were merchants of the first eminence in the country. They might therefore properly be considered as representing the interests of the Meeting, which consisted of nearly 2000 persons, who assembled and continued together in weather the most unfavourable he heti ever known. As to the want of a fair hearing, to which the, Hrin, Member hid alluded, the Hon. Member knew very well that, .eVett iv that House, an indisposition was often ehewn to.' heat- those who were not liked 4 and the lion. Gentleman also' knew that he generally met with loud disapprobation at every meeting of the county which he attended. With regard to the s upp ose d d uty w hi c h the lion, Member thought he (Mr. Bennet) hail to perform, to bring forward a epecitic measure respecting the Currency, he had to remind that. lion. Gentleman that he (Mr. B.) had on., the, very first day of the Session given notice on behalf of his Hon. kriend, the member for Essex, of such a motion ; and it was nothing but indisposition which prevented his Hon. Friend from attending itehie place, and following up the noti ce . N o man being more conv i n ce d than his Hon. Friend of the abso. lute necessity that Parliament should turn its attention to this important subject. He should not go over all the topic's touched upon by his lion. Friend (Mr. Ricardo) betamee he thought they did not tome within the question immediately be fore the House. lie could not, however, forbear expressing his astonishment' that his lion. Friend had asserted that the changes in the Currency lied had little o r no influence upon the distressed state of the country. It was impossible to be. lieve this, seeing that more transactions took place upon credit in this country than in any other. It was his Hon. Friend who, with. his great authority, had led the House to believe, that the difference to be occasioned by the last measure, would be only 44 per cent. lie trusted his Honourable Friend, now that he had admitted it to be 10 per cent. repented of the ad vice he had given to the House. Even upon his Honourable Friend's own admission, this was a Tax of 10 per Cent. upon all who paid taxes, and an equal advantage to thew who re ceived them. Was it possible to supposeethe House would .have lent themselves to this, had they foreseen the conic. .quences ? He did not foresee diem. They went,on ignorantly and confidently, as they, in their great wiedoni; did in the year 1011 ; when, upon the same subject, they virtually declared' things unequal in themselves to be equal to each other. By that and similar measures, they had, stripped Lord Kingof his property. And when this was doing, did the lion. Member then talk of' spoliation and confiscation ? Did he do this when the House had ordered a debt of 20s. to be considered WI satis fied by a payment of 14 ? Parliament, sooner or later, would find it nweseary to reeise its measures. Conimittee after Come unitee had been appointed on the subject of Agricultural Dis tress, but not one to consider the effect of our measures re. specting the currency. His full and firm conviction was, that . there would not be one county meeting at which this subject would not be taken up ; though those that balk it op might be branded as persons advocating spoliation. He felt confident that he should be able to prove the substantial justice of the case to be with the Petitioners, notwithstanding the Tables of Mr. Mushet ; and he repeated his conviction that Parliament would find itself forced to give its most serious attention to the subject. Mr. Seceetary PEEL said, that if he were influenced by the 'choler which had appeared in the latter part of the lion. Gen demanet speech, he should enter at lame into the qiiestion of the currency ; although the Hon. Gentleman, in a for Mer part of his speech, had said he tliought the subject not imme diately within the question before the House. He. Mr. Peel) Should- not now go fully into that 'question. Ile rin. cipally rose to protest against the assumption that his si. knee was an acquiescence in the opinions _and doctrines of the lion. Member for Shrewsbury. Ile could not allow him self to enter into th e di scussion of so momentous a suleject in a partial way, when the whole q t t est i on was pending. It wee impossible by such partial notices to do justice to such a sub ject, and therefoi e t h e b est way was to abstain until the. proper time arrived. H e wou ld, h owever, go as far as' to observe, that he could not at all understand how it could ever be sup posed, looking at the state in which the currency had been tor many years preceeding 1019. so great a change could be - effect• ed without the; infliction of a temporary ) partial pressure.— (Hear, hear !)—He should therefore consider it no argument against that measure, that such' ternperaey, partial pressure had fellowed it. With regard to the question of . good faith, he. would reserve the consideration of that topic for the die. cus.sion on the general question. So fat,, however, as the Fundholder was concerned, it was t o b e ' reco ll ecte d that the , debt. was contracted in a depreciated curr.ency. But it was contracted at a time when an act • was enforced, stipulating for the return to (Nell 'Payments on the return of peace.— (Hear, hear,!)...-He wouldeadMit that it might be possible that they should be mistaken ,a 4 to the amount of ' the tleprecia. don; but the principle andequity of the measure must he al waye the same ; and what was just in 1810 and 1011, must also be just in 1019. What then was the restitution . of an au thority to, which none could sooner bow, lie presumed, than the Ilun. :11ember .fbr Shrewsbit Ty—he meant cof illy, florner (Hear! )--It was that at the'E.Xpiration of two years front its date, not six months after the Peace, Cashpeyments should be re sumete.--(llearl)—What also were his doctrine* as to they quity of the measure ? He' moeed that the Proutimeory Noteseof the Hank meant that they Will pay in sterling cash to the amount of the sum specified on the notes," It was obvioiet then, that it was the intention of Parlianient, wheti Caah Pityments were sasperaled,thatewhatever s ho u ld b e t h e in tervening depreciation it should not be deducted 'ftone the creditor. Newould. it under these circumstances be fair, to deprive him of the ietitinited amount, as proposed, of the depreceation. If Parliament Intel not foreseen that there might be Nome alteretion in the - ulna of the. currency in which the prthniseory note was to be paid, it wooldtot - bevepestied this Resolution. He would abstain for the present 'from sitying any wore, fortliee than that he still , entertained every one ,of the opinitine he had formerly' ex. pressed when the subject wag 4gitate.a. Ire beggedtheelethiee to suspend their opinions on the subject till a full tend fair die. cueelon hail been ;Weeded upon it. • its the mean tune he would appeal to the difference .fretite' mete of the, country' in 1 8 23 to what it was ua 1817, eotteitifiti abet:When called upon to pro. tounee a final judgment upon the act in question,' the IFtrtitje would bear that difference in mind.—( Hear t) Mr. Mt )NCK could not allow the discussion of thiequeatiett to go - by without aninuulyerting on the tone of levity.ut tvttic i. the Hon. Menthe,' fee Portarlinteten alluded to 'the effecteof the state of the currency in 181 b. - He differed front the. Her. Member ip the view taken by, him; lie thought that iheY should be as scrupulous of doing injustice to the' pithlic'debtor as to the public creditor. But they were about to "do him in., justice to perpetuity, and not • temporary, as declared by the Right Hon. Secretary opposite. it should be renternberred, that besides these two, there wax a third clash whom he might call neutral—he meant, heirs at law, mortgagees; 'and ten a n ts . The very day after th e Bill h a d passed, the verde efita#l' watt enhanced and had continued to eise to the proeent nrctertent--- , the price of it was stationary, for that never could rise. So depreciated had this article been, during the peritid liPepeeee tibn, that he believ e d, f or the first time in the history of the world, en ounce of gold lied only been able to procure one quarter of corn. Thus it was, that as creditor, the plehrte debtor, and the others he had mentioned, r'eceiyed only s'x end eight-pence in the pound, whilst as debtors they paid teenty shillings in the pound, This fact was sufficient to spew the whole nature and extent of the evil; and it was abselutely necesaary to consider of somerremetly to be applied. The petition was then read, and on the question that it be printed, Mr. RICARDO nattier* few oleservations in explitnatiOfeee lie repelled the chitege - oi Noble Friend ( Lortl.Feilkestiitt:S), that he had at one time represented that the effect - of the: bill called Peel's Bill, was to alter 'mice% only five pee cent., and then admitted it to the extent of ten per cent. When he talked of five per cent. it was under the suppositien that the measure would have been effected in the way specified in the Bill itself, viz. by payments in bullion. O n t h e contrary, h owever, it had been done by means of sovereigns, which they were obliged to have a bill in that Home to enable them to get rid of. He conld not admit he had spoken with levity on the subject of the et r. rency of 1810—he telt ar mech an any - man on this stibject had only said that from 1816 to 1819 'there had been net 'change in the currency at all. Lord FOLKESTONE said, his Hon. Friend first denied, and then, in his expl anat i oc, confessed that he had rePresented him correctly. lie said that he was rot discuseing the Bill that had passed, but one which was in the imagination of his Iron. Friend. ORANGE SOCIET Mr. BROUGHAM gavp notice, in behalf of a Noble Friend then absent, that he would bring forward a motion relative to Secret and Illegal Societies in Ireland on Tuesday next—, (Hear I) Mr. R. FITZGERALD concurred in the propriety of the motion of which the House had just received notice; and iitve notice himself of a motion on the subject of Uri - constitutional Oaths in Ireland: TECORN .'' Mr. W. WHITMO H RE C rose, pursua LAWS nt to notice, to bring forward his motion on the present state of the Corn Laws. It was said by some that this di s c uss i on c ou ld create no god prate tical result , but on the contrary lead to still gteater despond ency and misery ; others would say, that if an alteratitm wre. necessary, the present was not the period for such but neither objection appeared to him well-founded. With i& spect to discussion ' .he thought it us e f u l, an d lik ely to there! much of the fear which row !,o generallyprevalled, The cause of the agricultural distress was to be traced to the law regale!.. ing the price of corn ; and while that law continued, he felt he should not be discharging his duty if be did not bring it uirler the consideration of - the /louse. The present period, was culiarly fitted to this discussion, because it was eminently one with which all classes were knit together, and tio danger could be expected front a collision of different interests. ?le felt the difficulty under which he laboured, not only front the vast magnitude of the question itself. ,He therefore begg ed railer indulgence while h e o p ene d his views to their notice. ' the main feature, the principle objection to the Corn Law vita, that it involved a principle of fluctuation. Suppose a similar Law in Holland--and he selected Holland, because it was, like Eno land, an importing country suppose then a law in Helfand which should exclude foreign corn unless the home article were at a given _price, and what would the result be ? Why, that ca pital would be diverted elsewhere ; at all events partially that some portion of it would be expended no doubt in bringing other portions of the soil into corn land —and if he could sap pose a sufficient extent of her territory were so occupied, then more corn would be ffrOW n shun was required for her consurnp tion, and in the event of a few more than average eorps, the quan tity on hand would be more than could obtain demand. Vcritit would the obvious effect of all this be? : To prevent supply and demand prtrperly regulating eacteother, mid to mole a fall in -price. This fall must produce distress to the fanner a dote rinration of the soil, and that further ev il of freeing ;he poor lands' out of corn ti llage; and the next effett, a deficiency of fliture huPply. The people hence would .autfer from super. Abundance or deficiency. England was placed in a similar si tuation as Holland. England was an iniporting country, be. cause she found it cheaper to import th a n to grow ; and every year's increase of v..ealth and population would continue to keep her so. About the year 1015 the crop Was good, am! about the tame period a re-action commenced, when that ineasure'«of which he now complained was passed into a law. Looking at the price of corn—. It was in 1817 - 2.4 shilling* • 1818. - 94 ; But in 1819 there was a considerable alteration in the price. In 1820 we had perhaps the largest crony ev e r known; and in 1821 a large cmp, though not so good in ipidiitv as that of the year before. Why rnentiori this, but to sties , the principle of fluctuation to which he had before alluded ? lie was free to confess, that in his vi e w we h a d arr i ve d at the pffliod the lowest price. Consumption ipereased in consequence. Alt the corn now get into the miller's bands, and th e farmers had much less stoCk (corn) then they should have at this seasen of the year.—(lfere the Hon. Member peoceeded to read Koine extracts from a letter of 4r. Cropper, an eminent Liverpool merchant, with a view to whew that in the writer's opinion consumption was outstripping the growth of corn.) This consumption was caused by low prices ; and the people now used only the best flour, where formerly they were seri!• filed with much humbler fore. 'Lie crop of 1820 wax large— of 1891 good—of 1822 not quite ten Average crop. But for this consumption the , trap of 1820 would have left a surplus so cover It deficiency in a year of failure. Hut we were not only thus erroneously going on, but we were sending corn away ; wheat went to the tinned States, ur.d in case ofa small crop, whence were aeto he supplied ? In, common tiines thewenust. tors might be left to settle themselves ; but the present were any thing rather than coninnin times. He had also veritnie other communications on this subject from various ..other plata of the country, with which however he would not now trouble the House. At Nottingham wages had advaneed from IS to 20 pet cent. ; and the people only bought the best flour and-the best meat, for which the farmer was but very inadeqiiatly repaid. The deterioration of the soil, produced by the opera tion 'of the Corn Laws, was in itself a great evil, and wilt, amongst other causes, the ruin of the agriculturist. The tna nuring of lands had greatly decreased in Nottinoliainalstre_ The use of bones had fallen off one-thirili and Z,r huin femt • one.tenth to. one.twer.tieth. flexing- a lime-work of 'his nor, he was enabled to speak with accuracy on thie part if the. sub.. iect. The average sale of every year for ten yee.rs h. foie 1820 was - - 42,681 bushels. In 1820, 3%324 - 1801 30,528, 1 824 20 490 Such a decrease could not fail of producing a corresponding , effect upon the soil. Be begged of Utintlernen , to consider what it was that had led to the agricultural distress ; whether it was not the law for the regnlation of the prices-of corn ; mull iif it were, he conjured them to apply some epeicly,remedy. lie would net appeal to the L an d e d tlentlemeri 4 to the.state et impoveritihment and destitution in whielithe-farmerstioie were— every one was aware of it, thougnmbny differed as to the ettus , o that preduced it. Th e C orn Lae , was called a syswie of pro tection, but operati n g not hi ng b u t ilestrivtion. " Its principle was utterly wrung. The pressUre wits not tont:m.(l to ifut attff etilturraniterear alone.. In at prolifical vieW'ir was colt ulsterno produce nothing , but mischief Be WO nt't 4 0 1, 1 , 1 0 6 1 10 very high 'prices; and he feereitthat raisingArizt,t__ - ern would only plate some on a giddy'eminencvi I:4RT ,l .w.til , n tory intik sooner or leter Th lancl(4t i ; ot b i'res ac t i ll 4 4e ",, ilti ':! s e t w io t tlta subject with 'lt great deal of liberality we* one of arid that a itaw at variatiec with _the first, end best principles of good policy. Whet !made the country the has been Then:den of so many interests, and above all. that 'between her aristvericy and the tillers of the their , prottetei s. In e ll wit...abet union whlen also the greet Attif %oda' hitil'etturrOd them the signieg ormeg4 Charm' tO the lansat.perl4 - tTrif would find the people, And those =above them, - Made coalition cause, and I . li act sate-