The Sun. — London, England, 1815-03-07 00:00:00

M PERIAL PARLIAMENT. .11.0175 E OF LORDS, MuxnA.v, Nimicu 6. ht S cots 'Trial by Jury Bill, after receiving some further atne::,linents, was read a third tinge and passed. Tbe.lic',turt Election Bill, it being . suggested that Peti lions probably be shortly presented, both for and against it, was postponed to Thursday sell - night. • CORN LAWS. Earl Si..O.:more presented Petitions against any ril(eratim, i►► the Corn Laws from the Parishes of Sr. !..laithea , , i3ethn►►l-Green (signed by between 0 and 10.000 persons), Whitechapel (similarly Ikigned), and other places, which . were ordered to lit on the table. The Earl of agaiv presented a Petition to the f;:i me effect, numerously and respectably signed, iotimating his dissent from the sentiments of the perif inners, his Lordship considering the measure ;tow 'before Parliament as essential:,to the_ well hying 'if the country, some protection being ab solutely necessary to the agricultural inteterts with a vie,' to the general welfare. The petition wal ordeicti to lie on the table. Lord GRENVILLE presented Petitions against any :dteration in the Corn Laws - from Manchester and Salford (sig ned by upwards of 50,000 per includingMerchants, Manufacturers, &c.) ; the Parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch (sighed, in two days, by 18,800 persons), Christchurch, Sur ' ey, Deptford, Rochester, and other places, which k•re ordered to lie on the table. The Duke of SUSSEX presented Petitions to the mite: effect from Hammersmith, and Westbury in Wiltshire, which were also ordered to lie on the table. A Petition from Kingston (Surrey) against any alteration in the Corn Laws, was presented by the' li:;r1 of Shaftesbury, and ordered to lie on the table. The Earl of DARNLEY wished it to be under stood that he had never used any expression to the effect that this question ought nut to undergo the fullest discussion. He, however, protested against the use of any language, either in or not of Par liament, tending to inflame the people. The mea sure should never have his support, if he at all conceived that it would have a tendency perma nently to raise the price of grain. This, how ever, was not the fact, and the best answer to the misrepresentations that had gone forth upon this subject; was the circumstance that, notwith- Ftanding the prospect o$ the Bill now before the House of Commons passing that House, and of its being received without disapprobation from any considerable number of their Lordships, wheat had that day (yesterday) fallen 55. per qr. in Mark-lane. It did not, therefore, by'any means follow, that if the import price of wheat was fixed at 80S. the mar ket price would be at that amount ; but supposing it to be so, he denied that the quartern loaf could by any fair - means be raised to Is. 4d. or Is. 6d. On the contrary, it might not to be wore than Is. With the view of elucidating this subject, his Lordship moved tor - an Account of the Weekly Average Price of Wheat in the London Market for the last ten years, together with the corres ponding price of the quartern loaf.—Ordered. Adjourned till tia-morrow (this day.) DOUSE OF COMMONS: PETITION% AGAINST THE CORN LAWS. The following Petitions were presented against the proposed alterations in the Corn Laws From the Inhabitants of New Saturn, by Mr. Jervis. From the Borough of Southwark, and the lubabitapts of St. J.ohn's,Southwark, by Mr. Calvert. From Paisley, by Sir J. From Sudbury, by Captain' Wyatt. From Salford and Warwick, by Mr. Illackburne; the for , flier signed by 19,000, and the latter by above 5000 persons. From Oxford; notberbithe, Southampton, and Aston under-Line, by various Members. From Nottingham, signed by 18,000 p*rsonx, by Mr. I. Smith. From Chatham, with 7700 signatures. _ _ _From Trowbridge, Melksham, and Lathrop, signed by the whole population of each place, by Mr. METIIC:EN, who begged leave to state, that the measures now before the }-louse was the tunst unadviseable and obinci9os that had ever been brought into discussion. He desired to protest, not only against the Bill, but against anyiegislative interference what ever on the subject. From Leeds (24,000 signatures), Waliefidd and Pomfret by Lord LASCELLES, who stated, that there was au universal disapprobation of the 13i11 in the manufacturing towns. From Westbury, by Sir S. llomilly. From Derby and Great Bodmin, by Mr. Whitbread. From Croydon, by Mr. Sumner. Mr. BLACKBURNE presented a Petition from Manches ter, signed by 54,700 persons, against any ,:ilteration in the Corn Laws. Sir ROBERT PKSLE said, that the Pctitions just read must spew the opinion of the people in that large manufacturing district. During the war, 'they had abstained from complaint, hoping that when peace arrived their burthens would be di minished. This measure was, he contended, in jurious to all ; for there was but one interest in supporting the labour of the manufacturers—Were we to cease to be'a manufacturing people ? If unfavourable seasons should arise, where was our reiource ? He was persuaded that the manufac turers would not remain in this country, unless they could be protected against this measure; they would go ,abroad, where their .merits would beduly appreciated. Let Ministers, therefore ; convince the anxious multitude that they were in terested for their welfare. Gentlemen had ex pressed their opinions, that this measure tend to lower the price of'bread ; but the people: would not be insulted—they knew better—they had saved the Constitution, and would not now be told, that by setting a higher restricting price, bread could be purchased at a cheaper rate. Mr. PHILLIPS followed on the same side. Mr. CAw'rnommz, in reference to what 11aCi fallen irons an lion. 'Member (Sir R.. Peele), - , said, it ixas Ilse landed interest. that protected the. poor ; a nd as the lion. 1 1 .dember had not resided for sonic Seats in the county, he. did not know, perhaps, that considerable relief had been afforded to the people ti that period of distress to :which he bad alb... Sir ROBERT. PEALS begged to inform ihe.l.lon. Centleman that though he had been several years .absent from - the county, yet a great capital o f hi s was employed there by the. poor, which eontri ,buted to their support. Sir W. CUR is presented Petitions from Rams gate, Aldersgate Ward, and frotivtheTititd Mayor, :Merchants, Bankers, &c. of the City of `London, who had assembled in the Egyptian-hill, at the Mansion House, praying that no alte:ation Might be made in the Corn Laws. The latter was signed by upwartts of :10,003 perons, who were lint; a 5 had been described, excited to this proceeding by popular clamour. He had never seen • a Meeting more orderly, or conducted with - greater modera tion and unanimirv. They had confined th''rn selves entirely ,to the subject in question, and were fully persoluled, that if any alteration were made in the Corn Laws, there would be all in crease in the price of provisions. lie trusted, therefore, that this Petition would produce a pro per effect in the House. Sir J. SnAw never was present at a public meet ing which had been conducted with more regula rity Rad moderation. - Mr. BARING believed, that a more numerous, respectable, and unanimous meeting never was assembled. He expressed his entire concurrence in the sentiments of the Petition, and was con vinced that the measure now proposed was sub stantially to raise .a considerable revenue on . the consumers of bread, for the sake of keeping up tents: He congratulated the House and the Country upon the trifling delay that had been gained ; for if they had not continued the deb,ite till three in the morning the City of London would not have had thin opportunity of express ing their opinions: lie was astonished at the pre-, .cipitation with which the measure had been car ried on, and which had prevented many populous places froth delivering their sentiments. The great city of Westminster had not yet been heard on this subject ; for such was the dispatch of Mini , ters, that not a single Member of that City had been able .to attend the'diseussion—( Hear I) The absence fif one id those Members was, indeed, sufficiently accounted for : but the Worthy Baronet, who Was so strenuous in defence of the rights of the people, hastened - to town, as. soon as he heard this matter was under discussion.—(Hear, hear.) From what passed in the last Session, people in general concluded that the subject was complete ly at rest. He admitted there had been long de bates upon it in that House ; but time should be allowed 'to ascertain the opinions of the people, and he should feel it his ditty to oppose every at tempt to precipitate the measure,, before those opinions were received. Mr. Alderman ATKINS thought his worthy Friend considerably withio the number, when stated that the Petition ,was signed by 40,000 persons, as immense crowds had been flocking this morning to subscribe it. The Bill was read a second time on Friday night, and nothing but the refusal of the House to postpone the Com mittee had prevented three times the number of persons from signing the Petition. He was fully impressed with the impropriety of the intended measure; and when he saw a Petition signed by 54,000 persons, he hoped that the House wvuld be induced to take it into serious consideration, and not proceed upon a measure so generally in jurious and dissatisfactory. PETITIONS FOR THE GORN BILL. Petitions were presented •from Kilkenny, Kil dara, Galway, and Bedford Level, praying for an alteration of the Corn Laws.—Upon the last Pe tition being read, Mr. YORKa rose and said, that it deserved the serious consideration of the House ; for though the other petitions expressed the sense of part of *the people, it wa.i much more easy for the manor. facturers to obtain numerous signatures than ;psi poor agriculturists, who, it seemed, were placed on the footing of slaves of the land. The sense of the people was much divided on this subjeCt, and it was certain that the agriculturists 7 Were much distressed. If their petitions could be heard; there wotild be no great difference between the number of their signatures and of time nianufae turers. These petitioners were intecested in three or four hundred thousand acres of land, which had been recovered f r oM th e wa ter under the guarantee of Parliament ; and Parliament, he was persuaded, %vould not suffer them to be injured. Mr. BArtiNo said, it was held out, that the la bourers and tenantry were greatly concerned in adopting this measure. ; but he had received com munications from various and respectable quar ters, that they had no interest in it. It had been proved by argument, and he firmly believed that the tenants began to find out that the landholders must lower their rents. To talk of labourers having any interest ei) the matter, whether Corn was at l2os. or 80s. teas Quite absurd—it was dry bread to them in one east us well as the other.-.. With respect to Petitions from the Fens, be could not but express his opinion, that if any persons were more entitled than others to the thanks of their country, it was those who made land pro ductive : but there happened to be evidence as to these fens in the report before the House. That evidence was decidedly against 80s. and therefore, if the persons best acquainted with land of that description did not consider ;80s. as a necessary price for the protection of the petitioners, he con— sidered it conclusive-on the subject. Mr. MF.TIIUEN begged the lion. Member (Mr. Yorke) to recollect, that many persons who had signed the petitions which he had presented were great !muted proprietors, and were alt-ugaitnt the measure. Mn M-. A. TAYLOR gave notice, that be would, take an early day after the Easterßecess, to wove for leave to bring in a Bill respecting DeviseS in ; the case of Copyhold•Eqates, and the admission of Tenants therein. Also for a Bill to abolish' the punishment of the .pillory. Mr.ThaNEY complained that certain important papers which he had moved for, relative -to the Civil List Accounts, and which he 'particularly wished should be l a id o n the Table before the Easter Recess, had not been furr,ished. He wished, therefore, the Right 'Hon. Gentleman would give him some information whether he might expect these papers would soon be pro duced. The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER Said, that unavoidable causes bad occasioned the delay, but he hoped he should be able to furnish the papers to the House in a few days. Mr. Alderman ATKINS rose to express hiS hopes that on the question of the Corn Laws ibe'llouse would be inclined to adopt some middle course, that might render the measure palatable to the whole nation. The Fees Abolition Bill was postponed to Wed nesday. THE CONGRESS, &c. The CHANCELLOR of the ExcilEatut *ea moved the Older of the D.ty tor the lionse . to tie - solve itself into a Coufluittee on the Corn Itn portation Bill. On the question that the Speaker should leave the Chair, Mr. WiIITBREAD said, he did not object to the Speaker's leaving the Chair, hut there were tither orders of the day on which he wished to obtain some information. .lie desireci to know, if the discussion on the. Corn Bill should last long. how it was_ intended to dispose of the question on the renewal of the Bank Restriction Act ? And he deisired particularly to know what the Noble Lord opposite (Lord Palincrstone) meant to do in that case with the Mutiny Bill While he was on his legs, seeing the Noble Lord in the blue ribbon (Lord Castlerea4b) in his place, he wished to ask it the time for making those disclosures which had been called for, hot withheld in his ab sence, was at hand, and if they might soon expect him to come down mitt) a message from the Prince Regent on the subject of his late important mis sion ? Lord CASTLEREAGH said he should be happy to give the Hon. Gentleman every information in his povc . 'er, but at present he was not able to intimate to him when any communication on the subject referred to was likely to be . made from the Prince Regent. When he should know such a Message was to be brought down, he would not fail to give due notice of it. If, before this was done, the Hon. Gentleman should wish to obtain infor mation on any particular point, he thotight it would be best, that he should'raise some question —that after some days had elapsed, he should call for that which he thought necessary. The Hon. Gentleinan would certainly understand that, tin der present circumstances, the explanations which he (Lord Castlereagh) could give, would be in many respects limited. If, however, the Hon. Gentleman called for any information which he might consider desirable, it would enable him (Lord Castlereagh) to state what disclosures he could make without injury to the public service. At present he could only say, though the pro 7 ceedings were not closed, yet much had been 'done;" and it was important to add, that what was done, had been done with the general concur rence of all the great Powers, who had made every arrangement for upholding those decisions which had been dictated by the common interest of all. All the great points in which this country was especially concerned, had been met by all the Powers in a spirit of peace, ,and arranged per fectly to his satisfaction, and he hoped in a man ner that would prove satishletory to the House.— (Hear, hear, hear !) Mr. WHITBREAD thought the Noble Lord might have misunderstood the intent of his .ques tion. He had asked if lie did not propose to give some information to the House; for whatever the Noble Lord might have been told by his col leagues, he (Mr. W.) did think the time was come when some information ought to be given from the Prince, or from the Noble Lord in his place without being called tor. From the answer he bad received, lie could hardly believe the Noble Lord was the man .Who had been at Vienna, for what ha.l fallen froin him was but a continuation of that system of evasion which had been prac tised in his absence—(Disapprobation). It would be most satisfactory to the House that the infor,- 'ation to be given eho.dd come apootancooly from the Noble Lord ; but if no communication .was to be made to that House before the Easter holidays, he would certainly move for that which be thought necessary. He repeated, however, that it would be best that the Noble Lord should give what he thought himself at liberty to offer, and it would then be for the House to determine. whether ot: not that was sufficiently ample and,sa tisfactory. Lord CASTLEREAGH replied, whatever commit nications the Crown might have to make, would be made at the proper period ; but if the Hon. Gentleman wished for any information in the pre sent instance, he was at liberty to call for it, and he might he enabled in that case to state how the business of the Congress now stood, and whether that which the Hon. Gentleman might desire should be produced, could or could not be given. That svhich had been clone had not yet received its full ratification. Most . important questions had been decided, and the determinations of the Congress had been reduced to articles, but these not having, yet been ratified, could not he pro duced. 'What had been done bad been done (he `repeated it) with the concurrence ot all the great Powers, and every thing baj been satisfactorily arranged that regarded the peculiar interests of this country. Mr. WHITBREAD enquired . if be was to under stand that unless some Member moved for in formation, the Noble Lord proposed to remain ancrether silent on these great subjects ? • Lord CASTLEREAGH had not intended to assert this, but in the-present state of things his com munications must necessarily be limited. Mr. WHITBREAD wished to know if hi was to understand that at any, given time the Noble Lord would -lay any information habit :Vic Hiatlst as a Minister or as a Member of Parliament? Lord CASTLEREAGH said, not as a Minister cer tainly.. Lord PALmeas±oN, in answer to the question put to him,' said, 'it .the discussion on the-Corn Bill shonld.niot take up. much of the time of the Hulse, it was his intention to proceed with it to day. If, hoVever, it should he occupied till a, late hour in the - Committee, he was willing to postpone it to a future day. Mr. WurrilitEAD then gave notice, that on an early vacant day he would raise a question on.the subject of the Noble Lord's mission, which would live him (Lord Castlereagh) an o p p o rtun i ty o f aving before the House such information as he might give consistently with his ditty. 11r. BENNET wished to know ,if the Order of 'the Garter had been given to the King of Spain, and if a Commission were now going out to in vest him with it, perhaps the Chancellor of the Exchequer might be competent to answer this question—(A laugh). The . CßANceLkott of the EXCHEQUER did not think it necessary to answer the question, but would move that the Speaker 'do now leave the oChair,iniittee on that the House may resolve itself int o a c THE CORN BILL. Sir Q. IlEATHcols rose to oppose the Bill, The high routs impose, 4 . on the ,row-el' mu st ulti" mately be paid by the consumer. It foil°w d that to 'secure the Landholders their presen t bi te rents, it was proposed to allow them to fix d tninimmu •zt which the population of Eng lan „should cat their daily bread. It was said. the '!antis now in cultivation would be again th ro ‘ v n f% pf. cultivation it that Bill did not pess. p _ denied - this. The lands at present in cultiva ttoa had not been used to raise Corr when it vas 8 04 ' the quarter, but when it was likely to sell for 8, or 91. the quarter ; and, therefore, he W 33° opinion that even ifthis Bill did pass, a great For" tion of that middling land which these high pri ces had caused to be so appropriated would soon be thrown out of cultivation. A little moderatio3 in the landlords, he thought, would be of infinite service to the country. He then read a St Par a : graph from an Evening Paper, which wasunder. i 'Mood to be as much under the influence of 011 s . tiGovernment as the Moniteur formerly was InOle; the Government of France, and to the teal' ing article of which, be bad been inform"' the talents - 'of a Right Honourable Gentle man 'opposite had .sometimes been lent. Of • paragraph was from the Courier of the 15i February, and was .as follows :---" We will t i°, enter here - into the discussion of the sithatioa to which all the proprietors of land n o w living their rents, the fair profit of their land would he, reduced, it with diminished incom e s they had st i ll to contribute as at present to the ge n er a l revenal- - of the country." On this par ag r a ph he woolP leave the House , to make their own cornmeits" * , laugh).-7-He called upon the Government 1 4 diminishing as much as POssible the expenditu re of the country, and conjured thesewho consid er "' ed themselves interested in the. present measur es to refer to the French Revolution, and to reineqr ber, that those who bad then driven from the i home, and who had come to this country as If; fugees (though he did. not mean to say such colu" ever be the situation of the land-owners of ggr, land), had been driven from their home throug; . i their contempt for, and neglect of, the feeljob of the common people. Mr. ST. PAUL would not have addressed t he !ifoitse this night, but for the precipitation wt t which - the Bill was about to be carried. throug o. the Rouse. When such precipitation was sal t ' it was but fair to infer that the meaStrre it was.thu;_attempted to carry could not be red if it were fairly considered. After giving the subject all the consideration in h:s power: 1 , could only come to this conclusion, that any ale teratiba in the Corn Laws at present would premature, unwise, and impolitic. At a time like the present, they ought, at least, to Waitt ii t t ' the effects of peace might be seen, that they Wig b be enabled to judge with accuracy if any any what alterations ought to be made. He regre t t ted - that this subject bad been taken up by Ministers ;• it WAS ill judged, and he hoped t "„ s Noble Lord opposite had told his colleag u- st 40-1--(A laugh I) The surprise of the .House have been great, when the Right Hon. Gentlem an who had- brought this subject forward, don/ l u% with much modesty (though he seemed to h: e , lost some of his modesty since), moved his' o f solutions without offering any information tie which they were not previously possessed, e •-.. commented _al some length „on the partlalltY played fur the measure by the Committee '4ll pointed to enquire into the subject. The 13 > 1 would raise the value of laud 21: I Is. per acre', e (A laugh !)—This might produce a laugh the i rs : woold it was not a laughing matter out of d° ° ' Taking the calculation of the Member for b'sl 11„ o e (which was a very low one), he w ou ld ass i d the produce of an acre of land to be et.p. o ". c ig three quarters of wheat. The price of Corn frOm 63s. to 80s. (assuming this to be the C" 1 : s , quenee of the Bill), would give an additional t. e itv to every quarter, and thus on thr ee quar ters % f ie • produce of ad acre) would amount to 2/. Ils. hoped the country wo u ld petition aga in s t the O ka ' a`tiastonish its advocates, though should it 0 -, passel; he would tell the people they ha d 1 , 1 0 .- thing to do but to submit, and bear with to:r t he nimity that which they could not avert. I ' 4 tot House were determined immediately to prac ee „ . c y, legislate on general principles knoWn• to t bc -, , 0; but unknown to practice, they' would' be-vir" o f in so doing. They ought to leave the Price its Corn to find its own level, like the river 011 00 /1 waytto the ocean. • He wished to be under st toisayy o that he believed the countenance giv e oc e this measure originated in the grossest igu° l l : o3 Of the subject, and in prejudice. He was S ati f „,,isf the supporters of the Bill did not mean to t ithe the price of bread—he was convinced they o j e interest of the aggregate of the populatiort Uf country at large-sincerely at heart, • In tel Mr. H. Vvsa supported this Balton - I ef' rested motive, but from a conviction, that b rea d ' feces. wonld be permanently to cheapen e it oti from a feeling, that if such a measure adopted, 'the safety of the country would be die dangered. He, however, Would - nat. g0... 4: :" - 11 6 price Of 80s. as, under present circumstanc e 1 0e did not consider that price to be ticcessarY. ro ' par' would support a proposition for fixing. the tation price at 765. and voting in favour of t 0 ; 00 1 , should think .heperformed his duty to his e ° ` th e Colonel RA.LI3SON was in. favour of fix ii tisfY protecting. price at 765.. This, if it Would o s ftlo the country, would satisfy him. The' etieotodto measure, he was satisfied, would be to P r p re Antniance, and abundance would not fail C° duce cheapness. ir e USb he •.Mr. V r A.R . TWIIIQHT reminded the — 0 ot tr e 7! iiieueS . tion before them Was, whether or r i. cei 17 " Spe4ker should leave, the Chair. The P, r f i erf ilie •thought, was that which would be best ° e ,` e , t ee. it .; ed by, the Committee.. He cou sure .one of vital importance to the co , ,in t r f. : for ; went to make us, independent of fore h e ' s agg log supply of Corn. He deprecated the lair ril e s which ban been used. by some Geotletue° sif e course of the debate, which be th °tlg. 111 ‘ enough to throw any country into a fall that which now prevailed in this. sidered expad. l eo General GASC L OIGN I E ine observed, it lead% re it( 0 . intimated any change in the price 5 ' ,151 , 11t to - be made in the Committee, as the Rib Gentleman who bad moved the Resoltvion 1 0 , 4 ; questioned on this point, o n a former mf • k o , said a price lower than 80s. would Pot "