The Sun. — London, England, 1822-03-06 00:00:00

PARLIAMENT, 'HOUSE OF LORDS, TUESDAY, MARCH 5. The House .tiwt a few minutes I.)efore 'four Vciock. The. - ffi...hop of CLONEERT took the oaths and his.sent,.- The Arms Irn*rrhiticrn clreland) Bill, the Exchequer Bills , {20,(109,6001.) 13i11,.'2•:ie. Annual Duties Pill, and the Transfer of Aids B:11, were brosight up from the House of Commons - by Mr. Brogdenar:a other Members, Imaread a first time. Oa the suggestion of Lord HOLLAND, it was agreed that the third reading of all the Irish Bills-should take place upon 62 same day. The Population (Ireland), Bill, and the Seizure of Arms In demnity Ili-eland) Bill, were read a seciendtiMe, and commit-. tea for co-morrow. On the motion of Lord KEN ON, an Account.was ordered of E'heese and Butter imported from the sth Jan. 1816 to the' sth Jan. 1822. - • AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. tOrd '''RSKINE said, he had fifteen petitions to present couiplainizg of Aitrieultural Distress; and he could not help . - .thiriltinF that the Peediciners were peculiarly' entitled to their Lordship& attention, Mastnuch us.tlrey, had failed in being en abled to obtain any remedy in the other House. His Lordship -quoted -the first -paragraph of the Report of the Agricultural Committee of the House cf Commoni of last Session, acknow= ledging the reality of the .distress of, the agricultural interests; and that the receipts of an aratlC farm would not pay the el:- pences of cultivation,. brit Must be defrayed otit Of the capital -of the farmer, and then • referred 'to page 16 of •the Report, stating that it would be for the L%islature to- eOnsidei at a future period of establishing . protecting instead of. the. pfesent system. Thus • the 'oil was immediate; =and yet the • Committee agreed in postponing the remedy. • What would be said to a physician'(and he had put this case to Member of the renewed Committee, a very amiable man),•whoi after tell-. ink his patient that he was in great danger, and could not.in probahility live a week, 'should afterwards tell him that he would at a future period take his case into consideration ?, Surely the Physician would not venture to say so at the head -of the stairs., he would at least wait till he got into the passage, and pretty near the door. The Petitioners - did not complain of taxation, though there was no doubt they felt its pressure as well as others ; but the fact Was; that all that retrenchment #91.1.1t1 do would not be enough to relieve thein ;* they wanted to be protected like our commerce and manufactures, and no more. `lie hal heard, though' he could scarcely believe - the fact, until a papa to that effect had been put into his hand, that it hadbeen proposed in die revived . Agricultural Committee to reduce the protecting duty from 80s. to 675. (although foreign corn could be imported at 355.) tie Could only say to this; that the shortest way to New Bethlehem was over Waterloo-bridge. Surely when the farmers were nos; nearly ruined—when the protecting price was 80s. it was a strange way of relieving them to reduce it to 07s. What did their tordihipslook - to but their rents ? But if this system was to go on, that House Might in a short timebe called the H ouse of Paupers instead of the House of Lords, for it would be impossible to obtain any rent. He had read the Worksof Mr. Webbe Hall, and hemust say that that Gentleman had been much misrepresented, his object merely being that the Agn•gultural Interests of the country should have the same pro teetion as our Commercial and Mannfaeturing* Interests, and no more. seeing the - Noble Earl- (Liverpool) just come into :he House, he would observe. that it was very essential to-guard frauds in bringing foreign corn to market, for he be r;tred that though our ports -had been shut against foreign corn, • oar markets had not, and that foreign corn. had introduced s Irish corn, to the great injury of oar own farmers, His Lordship concluded by presenting 15 Petitions,l4 of them' from Owners and Occupiers of land in Oxfordshire and adjoining Counties, and one from Ringwood (Hants) and its neighbour hood.—Ordered to lie upon the .table.—Adjourned at 5 o'clock.' - ...;11 to-morrow (this day.) . HOUSE OF COMMONS. . • mISCELLANEOVS. - Mr. CIiRTEIS moved for several RetUrns relating to Ilari imported itto thi; country, for the years subsequent to 1819. Ordered. .Mr. LOCKHART presented a Petition from certain Occu iii?rs of Land at Doncaster; .and another from Occupiers. Land - in'Dorsetshire, complaining of agricultural distress, and -praying for protecting duties.—Ordered to lie on-the table. • Mr. CURWEN presented a Petition from the Inhabitants of Wigton, in Cumberland, praying for a revision of the Cri minal Code.—The Petition, after a few words -.from Mr. Cur ren in its support, was ordered to he on the table. Mr. LOCh.IIART gave notice, that on the lEth instant he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to facilitate the recovery of the possession of small Tenements held over by Tenants after the expiration of their terms. T;ie Sugar Duties' Bill, the ..Exchequer Bills' Bill, and the Transfer of Aids' Bill, - were - read a third time and passed. • NI:. Alderman WOOD brought-up the• Report of the Com ..rn appointed to consider the Petition of the City of London, the repair of London Bride. • Mr. HOLM E 'SUMNER Objectea to the course taken by he City on this occasion. Ide had no doubt- he should be. in_ strortei to nlove:for.a Bill . to take. down the, preqentßridge, and bv,ild another. iv. 0 NIMA NE Y spoke a few words, in , support of the o!:servation of Mr. H. Sumner. was then giv:en for bringing !a a Bill to repair the Mr. CHEW ND gave notice, that on Tuesday next ha .should move for leave to bring in a Bill for more effectually en. forcing the Laws against Beggars, and . for giving additional -powers to Nlmistrates for that purpose. • The :Marquis of LONDONDERRY, in the-absence ; from . ,indisposition, of. his Right Von. :Friend (the Chancellor of the 'l;x-chequer), postponed ..until Thursday next his Right Hon. Friend's notice respecting the Superannuation• Bill. -He would kera obse.rve, that there was a notice of the lion. Member for Aberdeen on the books, respecting .some. Accounts relative to 'the Consolidated Fund. The information required by the Hon. N.lemher would be detailed in the-measure about to ire proposed ..bilas Right lion. Friend. The fionouiable 'Member - would - prv,a7 3 ly, tI - • ! erefore, not 'object to his motion going off for the -pr=int, as it would be obvious that he might revive it, if the information alluded to should not be satisfactory. . . The Report of the COmmittee of:Supply upon the Navy' Estimates was brought up by Mr. Brogden, and agreed to. {fin the inotein of Mr. CROKER,• leave was given to - bring wi u Bill far zclgulating - his Majesty's arine Forces on: syore. Sir M. W. 'RIDLEY moved for a Rcturn of the Rental of `the several Estates belonging to GreenWieh Hospital, and of all sotns expended or elloweql for the Repairs thereof ; and .a' lieturn of the number of Agents employed in the management. of those estates, with the amount of 'the several salaris ; and also a Return of the number of persons holding offices in the Hospital, stating whether any, and which, of those offices were yxecuted by Deputies ; the amount of , the salary for each offi'ee ; and stating also whether any of sUchofficers held any bther offim with the amount of the salary attached to the, ,same.---Ordered. ACTIONS AGAINST HUNDREDS Mr. DENISON, pursuant to notice, rose to move for leave to bring in a Biil for facilitating the Recovery c of small-Claims against Hundreds, •In respect Damage 'done. by Rioter& The Hon. Member stated„. that it would be qUitesuflic':nt for him to inform the House of the proceedings which lead taken cl.ice in the county of Sutter last year ;. and having done so, bethought he Should not have occasion to offer another word in support of his motion. At the Spring ASsies ' I 1 actions . were brought to trial to recover wins amounting 'altogether t0'691. 7s: 61. ; and the costs of these actions had. been taxed in the proper courts, at .1,1061.95. Igd. .At the Summer Assizes four actions were brought to trial to recover 71. 6s. rid. and tile costs of these were taxed in the same Manner at 5311. 6s. Id. • One of tbe. actions •was to recover .18s. and the -costs of that. action were taxed at 1121. Yet every one of these actions ,had been is: avoidably brought, because the remedy by action was the oisy one left open by Law for those whose property was injur ed. The Tionse.thust be satisfied that so monstrous a griev ance calleflotidly for • redress ; and with the permission of the House he .would submit a giving the Quarter Sessions jurisdiction over ceuscA wherein the sum sought to be recover ed did not exceed M.. The Hon. Member accordingly moved for leave to bring in such a Bill. Mr. B. WILBRIIAM said, he „could confirm the state ment of the Hon. .Mover, as far as regarded the general amount be the Law expenses compared with the sum to be recovered. :Phis evil had been so deeply,kit in the County of Lancaster that it was contemplated by the Bench of magistrates to in struct hiM (Mr. Wilbraham) to bring in a Bill similar to that itoi moved for. He was happy' the subject had been taken up by the Hon. Member. Mr. SCA RLETT.approved of the Bill ; but. thought it was not necessary to confine its effect to any particular sum. The . mode of recovery' might be simplified generally, without tak ing away the principle upon which the present law was found ed. All that the law required was that the right of the person seeking the remedy should be established by a Jury. Mr. LOCKHART highly approved cf the Bill, and trusted it would be only a precedent for others. The present mode of administering justice was disgraceftil to . a civilized country ; and he trusted the subject would be taken up by the-House. • Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. • SCOTCH JURY LAW. Mr. KENNEDY brought forward his promised-notion re specting the present mode of . conducting criminal proceed ing ia Scotland with reference to .Juries. If however the learned Lord oppositt would introduce the subject into the measure' e was about to propose, he (NIT. K.) Would not press his motion. The LORD ADVf..I4-C:ITE said, .be so widely differed in opinion fromthe 1i0n.,33 - ember upon the subject -in question, that he thought. it would bt more advisable for the Hon. - ber to proceed-Withhts - Motion. • , . - 7 - - • Ii.ENNEPY resumed. ile would shortly inform the I-louse ofthe present - state of7the Criminal Law of Scoiland.--t- The:chief Cmnitial-Court was the High - Court of Justiciary, and the Members of this Court held Circuits twice a year— The Court nett in impot=nre - - was the Sheriff's CoUrt. The Sheriff was, in Scotland, a Judo avpoiated by the Crown, and selected front the-Bar. Ue c3e yd luau civil • and some crimi nal cases, arid in'otheri ,of-e* , latter descriptiOn.he sent the ac cused to trial, his adjudication being in the nature of the tin& ing of a Grand - Jury, The Jury was in Scotland composed of fifteen persons, and a majority decided . the question.. These fifteen . were selected from forty-five summoned for the pur pose, and the - Selection was made by the presiding Judge. .The prisoner had not the right of challenge which was given by the English law, He coakt only offer certain legal defined ex— ceptions to any Juror to he objected, - anal-the presiding Judge detailed upon those exceptions. The Bill he 'pro pOsed • was principally for giving the prisoner the right of elmllenge, - and had been modelled upon the measure late) adopted. for extending the Trial 'by Jury in Scotland to Civa Cases,, That measure was interidgcl, in the first instance, to be merely temporary ; but the experience of four years had shown- its beneficial effects, and it was raa.depermanent. The Honourable :Member . Complained that '.inuch prejudice had been, exerted - against . hiin because he had brought the present inibjeet - -• forward, and .he, therefore, trusted. that he should he allowed- to offer - himself again to'the notieeof the House should -any observations •be naide 'which might, in hil - opinion, render . it neceSsaryfor him to do so. The Honourable Member then moved - for leave- to bring in a Bill to alter the present mode Hof proceeding Upon Trials by Jury. on .Criminal Charges . in Scotland, . y . • • The LORD ADVOCATE said, he shOuldnOt oppose the Motion, bur•he trusted the House would not come to any opi nion•on the subject until the question - should come on for the second reading of the. Bill. He pledged . himself to -prove to, the satisfaction of the House' that the measure was uncalled for, Unnecessary, and unwise. - • • Leave was then. «ivea to. bring in the Bill. Sir M. W. RIDLEY withdrew his intended motion for Thursday next, in consequence of the vote to which the House had come to. the Other night respecting the reduction of two Lords of the Admiralty. As Ministers intended to act upon that vote, it was unnecessary for him to press his motion. • Mr. HUME, in cdnsequence of the suggestion of the Noble Marquis, withdrew his - notice of motion for several Returns connected with the , Consolidated Fund, and expressed his in tention to wait for the. proposed measure of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Honourable Member then presented a Petition from certain Inhabitants of, the County of Lancaster in favour, of .Ir. Hunt;. which, after a few observations from Mr. Hume in support of it, was ozdered to lie on the Table and be printed. • PRISON LAWS. • Mr. W. COURTENAV moved for the appointment of a Conmitte to examine the. Prison Laws. The necessity of a general code of prison regulations 'was, he believed, generally. admitted. lie should move merely for the re-appointment of .the Committee which sat last -year, with the exception of the addition of onemiune ; that of the Right lion. Secretary for the Home department. The labour of - the Committee would be directed in a great degree towards the devising of some mea sure which would .be submitted for the approbation of the House. The Hon Member then moved 'foe tar appointment of the Committee; and the motion, after a few words from Mr. WannE, waS agreed to. . . The following are the names of the Committee.:—Mr. Peel, Mr. Wilberforee, Nils Grey Bennet, Mr. Bragge Bathuist, Sir Thomas Acland; Sir JOhn Newport; Mr. liolford, •Lord . Viscount Belgravc, Mr. .Bransby Cooper, Mr. Agar .Ellis, Mr. Caithorpe, Mr. Courtenay, Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Ashhurst, Mr. Tremayne, Mr. Hart Davis, Dr. Liishington, Mr. Evans, Sir Eliab Ilarvey, - Mr. Davies Gilbert, Mr. Solicitor-General, Mr., Cartwright, Mr. rowell Buxton, Mr. Spring Rice, Mr. Henry Clive, Mr. Dawson, Lord Binning, The Lord Advo cate of Scotland, Mr. Wilitiot, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Dugdale, , . Mr e lloOtle Wilbraham, Mr. Nicolson Calvert, - .Mr. Littleton, Mr. Portman, Mr. Wolryche Whitmore, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. florriby, Sir Thomas Baring, Mr. Holine Sumner, Mr. Wane. The LORD ADVOCATE moved for leave to bring in a Bill,. respecting the law of naturalization in -Scotland. We could not distinctly hear the, nature •of the Bill mentioned. by the Learned Lord, but. we understood him to say that the Bill was a continuation of a former measure, and that its con tinuance was Occasioned by a late decision of the Court ofSession. After a few words from Mr. KENNEDY, leave was given to bring in the Bill. Lord NORMANBY gave notice that on Wednesday the 13th inst.,_he should submit to the House a motion connected with the office of Joint Paymaster-General. Mr. SCARLETT - presented a Petition from the Land 'Owners, near Peterborough, complaining .of agricultural dis tress, -which the petitioners attributed to taxation. They stated that they had • been unwilling to trouble Parliament with their complaints, in the full expectation that Ministers would have proposed an adequate remedy. .The remedy which Ministers had proposed the Petitioners conceived to be altog,ether inef fectual, and in these sentiments he fully concurred. He thought-the principal cause of the present distress was there- sumption of cash.payipents. Indeed bethought the distress was a necessary consequence of that measure. The argument of his Hoe: Friend, the Member for Partarfington, was, that the ie ,sumption of cash payments' had not made , a difference of-more than-five percentum. Even thia_rate upon a revenue of sixty millions amounted to one million ; but it was his (Mr. S.'s) opinion; that the measure in question, with the addition of the three millions of new. taxes imposed since the resumption, made a difference of at-least nine millions. l t. followed that, .as the taxes were not nominally . affected by the currency, they • absorbed a greater quantity 'than usual of the produce of the soil s He could not conceive - that abundant production could be a cause of real distress, though it might be. ore of the low prices. Tithe produce of the •soil - were divided into different cnannels, andif the Government received its taxes in a share .ofthe produce,•the Government, as well as each other receiver of its share,-would.he the better for receiving a larger , quantity than was customary. Abundance, he never would believe could cause poverty ; and the alteration of the currency had .no other effect than that of giving to Government a larger share-of the produce. • Ain 'RICARDO said, that in the case put by his Hon. and Learned . Friend,. it . was true each person received a larger share than. usual.; -but his lion. and Learned Friend went. no further. The depreciation in the value of the surplus occa sioned distress, because there was no demand for it. Ile ad mitted, that the .resumption: of cash payments had , caused a partial alteration, but, in his conscience, he believed that the increase of quantity was the principal cause of the present distress. Dlr. LUSITINGTON moved the Order eif the Day for the House receiving the Report of the Committee of Supply. On the Resolution being pnt respecting the number of Land Forces, Mr. HUME said, that whether he should be successful or not, he-was resoived to put upon record the sentiments of the Hon: Members on his side of the HouSe respecting the amount oldie Standing-Army. He should observe that he had been misunderstood with regard to his opinion of the-present dis turbance in.•lreiand., He thought it ought to he effectually put down ; hut he conceived that a' reduction of 10;000 men from 6%802, would tot deprive Government.of.-the means of thus putting it . down ; and this was ail the reduction he had asked. Ile thought it difficult to-shape any proposition more consistent with •the views of the other side of the House than that which he had suggested. The expence of the Military Establishment for the year 1792, was between, two and three millions; at present it was between seven arid eight millions ; a disparity which he considered to be too great, after making every reasonable allowance. The Hon. Secretary for the Co. kraal Department had called the proposed raluction a petty. saving, and bad. called the House to reject it with dis dain. This petty saving amounted to half a million ; but pro bably the Honourable Gentleman, being in office, induced him to think it petty. ; for the being a few weeks in office gave a man notions of the very first consequence. The Hon. Gent. had quoted Mr. Burke, and-regretted the passing away of the days of chivalry. He was extremely happy to find in the Hon. Gentleman an advocate for chivalry; but he should be more so to find that we were in a situation to pay our engagements.— ( Hear !)—He protested against such conduct as that of the Hon. Secretary for the Colonial Department (Mr. Wilmot), who in his speech of the night before, treated with contempt his (Mr. Flume's) proposition for reduction.. He' called a saving of half a million a paltry, petty saving. He was sorry that a Gallant General (General Gascoyne), who also treated him last night somewhatin the same way, was rot there in his place. It was extremely unpleasant to be met •in the way he (Mr. Hume) had been last night. Ile was sorry that that Gallant General had descended to make personal 'observations, be cause such a course was always a symptom of weakness in the cause, to support which it was resorted to. As to his (Mr. Hume's) profession, it was as well known as that of the Gal lant General's, and if he were to be asked whet part of his pro fession it was had procured him his r!ginient, probably he could not answer it so well as any question that lie could put to hirri (Mr. Hume). He repeated, that when penonal allusion was applied to as a means of answering public arguments, it was always with some improper object. The Hon. Gentleman then briefly recapitulated the arguments he had before used, and concluded by moving, as an Ainenttnient, " That 58,802 men be.suListituted for 438,8 e." , The SPEAKER reminded the Han.. Member that he was premature in his Motion, as the Resolution had. not been read a second time, which was then the question. Mr. WILMOT beggedto.observe, with regard to what had fallen from the Hon'. Member the Aberdeen (Mr. Hume), that the observation he had just made would have been more in place in the Committee last ni ; ;lit , -;-(Hear, hear !)—and above all, if had taken theopportunity of the Gallant General's being present to pronounce the deliberate *attack he had,indulged in upon him.—(Cheeis fiorn.the• Ministerial benches.)--With re. gard to what the Hon. Member had atrributeci to him (Mr. Wilmot) he distinctly denied he.ving applied the words paltry and petty to the motion of the Hon. (Jentleman. He might possibly have found such an expression in some of the histori *cal fragments of the day ; but he referred to the whole course of his argument to disprove his having used it. He had ee -1 marked upon the lion. Member's admirable qualifications for ! leading the people of England into error on financial subjects, when he represented that the reduction .in the Colonies had only been to the amount of four hundred men. Having shewn the mistake, he said that a motion founded upon such calcula. tion he iejected with disdain, as well as because he thought the military reductions had reached theirminimum, and that to go _below -that would be destiuctive to the interests cf the eoun try.—(Hear !) Mr. HUME appealed to Lhe Honourable Member for Shrews bury.(Mr. Bennett) whether he was not correct in supposing the Honourable 'Member opposite (Mr.'Wilmot) had made use of the words he had attributed .to him. Since the Honourable Gentleman had disclaimed them, I.e was satisfied, but he was in error with many others. "The mistake of which the Hon. Member sooke was owing to erroneous returns laid on the table. of the House, and not to any misconception of his (Mr. Home's). The Honourable Member's Amendment was then put and negatived withoUta division. 'he other Resolutions were then read and agreed to. ANNUAL MALT TAX ACT. The House went intoa Committee on this Act. Mr. LUSHIN,GTON, in:moving the renewal of this Act, said, that as it had expired on the 25th February, he should move a Resolution that the tax of one shillinj.„per bushel on malt cease from that day. Mr. MONCE. asked whether any allowance was to be made to the brewers on every three barrels of beer ? LUSHINGTON said, that his Right Ilon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had already explained the matter upon which the Honourable Gentleman asked for in formation. It never had been customary to make any allow ance for beer, but an allowance 'of Is. a bushel would be made upon all malt in hand, betwixt the 15th February and 4th Alarch, 1822. The Resolution remitting the Is. a bushel tax upon malt was then passed. A clause was also inserted to make an allowance to that amount, to be paid quarterly on all malt in hand, be tween the days of the 25th February and the 4th March, 1822. These provisions were also. extended to Ireland, and with these amendments the Resolutions were agreed to, and the Report ordered to be be received to-morrow. 'The Circuit Commissioners' Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow. The Scotch NatUralization Bill was read a first time, and ordered to tie read a second time on Thursday. Sir J. NEWPORT moved, that there be laid before the House an account, detailing the number of Grand Jury Pre sentments in Ireland for i. the last seven years ; and of all sums levied in consequence by Baronial.collectors. Mr. LI:SHINGTON brought up a Bill to amend the col lection of -taxes in Wales. Read-a first time, .and indent' for second reading on Friday.—Adjourned. THE COLONIES. , PARLLVAENT OF LOWER CANADA. LEGISLATIYE COUNCIL, MONDAY, JAS. 14. Resolved—That this Province has experienced great diS ' tress in its Agricultural and Commercial Interests (which is only partially alleviated by accidental circumstances, now in a state of re-action) from the want of a market for its export able produce in wheat, grain, and flour, the admission whereof into .the united, kingdom, for consumption therein, depending upon contingent and variable causes, which, from the nature of our climate, and our distance ft ow the Mother Country, with the limited time when admissible, can only be acted upon by us, at any time, with very precarious, and sel dom with beneficial effect. ' Resolved—That articles of the growth and produetiun of -this Province, of all descriptions, when admissible. into the United Kingdom, for„sale and consumption therein, are paid for in Manufactures of the said Kingdom, exported to and . consumed in this Province, thereby enabling the British Ma nufacturer to consume a greater quantity of British Agricul tural produce, and thus promoting the interests of both coon tiles, by a reciprocal exchange of commodities, to the great -benefit of the labouring and industrious classes in each; whereas foreign grain, and other articles, when admissible fur British consumption, are in great part paid for in specie or hills of exchange, and thereby encourage foreign industry, without furnishing an equivalent to the British consumer, by any stimulus to his industry, in the sale of its produce. Resolved—That the laws regulating. Colonial intercourse, assure to the Mother Country a - market in this Province, inde pendent of foreign caprice, for British Manufactures, 'to the full extent of our provincial means of payment ; and there fore evert• measure which tends to increase such means, by encouraging the augmentation of the exportable produce of our soil, has as certain an itrlluence in favour of the British Agriculturist, as if this Colony actually consumed the arti cles by him raised and sold to the home manufacturer, which Such manufacturer, but for the produce of that part of his labour exported to Canada, could not have paid far. Resolved--That Debtors in this Province to Importers of British Manufactures and Colonial Produce, have no sure means of discharging their debts, aer such ImpOrters to pay what-they-owe for such importations, but in the exportable value of our produce, and in such proportion as that is de- I pressed, so much the Farmer and Merchant suffer in their transactions, and the conseq4ent distress be extended to every ether inhabitant of the Province, and be st verely felt by every British Creditor of a Debtor resident in Canada. Resolved—That the experience of twenty-two years (as will appear by the Custom-house Return of. Exports and Imports. forthat period) demonstrates, that the greatest quantity of Wlreat,'Grain, Flour, and Bread Stuff of all kinds, exported from Canada to all countries, would suffice for the cottsump• hors of the United Kingdom but for a very few days, and could not affect the interests of the British Grower in any perceptible degree; but, on the contrary, would benefit as aforesaid, by increasing the means of consumption by the Ironic manufacturer, exclusive of the direct benefit which would accrue to the said Grower, by the well-known pro perty which the Wheat of this Province possesses, from its extreme hardness, of ameliorating the Flour, by admixture in grinding . with the moist Wheats of the British Isles, and particularly in Seasons when the quality thereof is more de fective than the quantity. Resolved—That the. British and Colonial interests are so intimately interwoven and connected as not to be separated wit bout danger to both, and the Colonist is fully entitled to such favour, in his intercourse' with the Parent State, as is compatible with the joint interests, and adverse to neither; and that the Provinces of Canada,. upon every sound prat• civic, have the strongest claim, in point of right, as well as in justice and policy, to the admission, at all times, of their Wheat, Grant, and Flour, int:: the United Kingdom, for sale and consomption therein; and the snore especially as the produce of the soil of the West India Colonies are admitted thereinto, at all times, with those privileges. Resolved—That such a concession to the joint interests would have a powerful tendency to rivet and perpetuate that loyalty and attachment to his Majesty, and the Mother Country, which the Inhabilauts of the Provintes of Lower and Upper Canada so conspicuously manifested .during the late war with the United States of America. Resolved—That 'Quebec being the Port of Entry for the said Province., the Imports and Exports, by the returns of the Custom-House for that Port, and the principles twin tained in those Resolutions, are applicable to both. Resolved—That it is proper and expedient to prepare a most humble Address and Petition to his Majesty, ((muted upon these Resolutions, to be transmitted through his Ercel lency the Governor in Chief, praying that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to recommend to his Parliament the en actment of a law, to be sanctioned by his Majesty, foi the ad mission, at alt times, inn) the United Kingdom, for sale and consumption therein, of the Wheat, and Grain and Flour of the growth and produce of the Provinces of L ower and Up per Canada. An Address to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, found. ed on the above Resolutions, was agreed to by the Hulse, and presented to his Ercellcncy the Governor in Chief, vith the following Address:— LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL" SATURDAY, JAN. 19. Resolved—That an bumble Address be presented to his Excellency the Governor in Chief, requesting' his ••Excelleacy to lay the humble Address of this House to the King's must Excellent Majesty, at the foot of the Throne, in such way asbe may judge most expedient. Tu which his Excellency the Governor in Chief was pleased to return the following answer : GENTLEMEN—I will transmit without any delay this Ad dress of the Legislative Council, and, in doing so, it will to a _duty incumbent upon tie to express my hope, that the great importance of the snkiect nifty obtain his 11.1ajesty's most Era.: cious and favourable consideration. . (Signed) DA LHOUSIE, THE PRESS IN FRANCE. TUE SPEECH OA' MONSIEUR DE TALLEYRAND ON THE PROJECT OF LAW FOR REPRESSI'NO OFFENCES OF TILE -PRESS. l'illessiunns,—We have for some time past heard proposi tions so singular, and assertion s seefash, that the minds of all are troubled.. Happily, disputes of word are at an end, and passion is exhausted before the. questions which excited it Sp pear before you. It is a great advantage for men invested with a portion of the legislative power to commence their' inquiries without the interposition of passion between them and truth. Whatever clears up a subject, shortens discussion ; there fore, in order to be short, I think it useful to ascend to the ori gin of the question with which we are engaged. In a season of tempest we miss our way ; • let us endeavour to regain it. The senate of the empire, which has been condemned with a croel levity, and, I must say, with great ingratitude, composed in haste under the bayonets of Buonaparte, which Were not yet all broken—a constitution, . imperfect doubtless; but one in ,which the dearest wish of France—the return of the House of Bourbon, and the most important principle of all our liberties —the freedom of the press, Were strikingly expressed. A few days afterwards appeared the memoratle declaration of St. Ouen. In this declaration, a monument of the personal wiss dom of the King, which preceded the Charter; and which will always be regarded as a faithful summary of it, we find the cons soling solution of those hazardous questions sou impeudently treated on light occasions. It commences by the following touching expressions:— " Recalled by the love of our people to the throne of our _fathers." You see, my . Lords, that it was not to the vic torious arms of the allied ; Icings that Louis XVIII. thinks himself indebted 'for his - retuen to his nativeland ; neither is his gratitude addressed to a portion of the French people ; and on what he says he has spoken as history will speak. it is to the love of all his people that Louis XVIII. wished to be in debted. Ile tproclaims it ; he glories in being recalled by :it to the throne of his fathers. Doubtless, during his long misfor tunes, he had abjured none of his rights ; and posterity will take account of it. But this King, so wise; So versed iii the knowledge of history, knew, well that the riglets of Kings, with out the love of the people, are often nothing else than a magni ficent testimony' of the vanity Of hurhan grandeur; and it is because he was sensible of this truth, that Louis XVIII., in addressing his people, adopts the sweet and .affecting language of gratitude. Farther on he adds, " Enlightened by the misfortunes of the nation which we are 'destined to govern, our first thought is to invoke that mutual confidence so necessary to our repose and its happiness." Ile - has obtained his confidence, and who will dare to refuse it to a King who asks confidence in return fur what he gives— who demands it because it is necessary to produce pod. He has turned to account the long days of his exile; he is enlight ened by the misfortunes of his nation ; he knows the causes of those misfortunes, both internal and external ; his wisdom is applied to efface the traces of them ; he is not surprised at the great changes which took place during the 2( years of his ab sence; he rejoices in finding. France more &Italia, more in dustrious, and above all richer in knowledge than when he left her ; and hi feels that it is for this new Franee s full of life and . full of power, that he must reign. My Lords, I am here only an historian ; I recite the works of the King's wisdor. ; hear his own words—" Resolved to adopt a liberal Constitution, we wish it to be wisely combined." The words of a King such as ours deserie to be weighed with respectful attention. Ile its resolved—resolved ! It. is because he knows that he is the descendant of twenty kings. Ile knows, likewise, that it is in 1814 that he speaks. Farther on we find these expressions :--" It was incumbent on us, after the example of the kings our predecessors, to ap preciate the effects of the continually . increasingSprogrhss of knowledge,* She new relations which this progress has intro duced into society, the direction impressed on the public mind, and the grave changes which have resulted from it. We ac knowledge that the wish of our subjects for 'a Constitutional Charter is the expression of a real want." The desire of his . people ascended even to him. He knowSthat this desire is the expression of areal want—the necessary result of the progress of knowledge. No longer does the successor of Louis XIV. hesitate 'to divest himself of a power which has ceased to exist in man ners or in opinion ; he wishes only to reign for a free people; he wishes to give to his people a,constitution wisely combined—a " Liberal Constitution," to use his own words; and I call atten tion to it because a miserable spirit of party, endeavouring to blast she consoling doctrines of human perfectibility, has en deavoured to convert into a calumny the word which expresses those doctrines. We are the defenders of the public liberties ; and,we may boast, in full security, of possessing that title, which, united with so many others, is placed in the crown of the King. He wished to give to the charter an imposing and sacred cha racter, when, after having sketched the rights and the duties of a Prince, and the rights and the duties of the subject, he uttered these fine expressions—" Sure of our intentions, strong in our conscience, we engage before the assembly which hears us to be faithful to this Constitutional Chattes, and we shall swear to maintain it with a new solemnity before the altars of that Being who weighs in the same balance Kings and nations." • This re newal of alliance; listened to with gratitudeand fidelity, con tains all the secrets of the fliture. With the Charter,. repose; without.the Charter, misfortunes. It seems to me, Messieurs, thanthis review of the past throws great light upon the present state of France,. and will likewise render more easy the solution of the questions with which we are occupied. Are, then, thelaws presented to the Chambers suitable to the mild, confiding, liberal spirit which presided at the forma tion of the charter—then our duty is to adopt them. Are they, on the contrary, impressed with a bitter, -distrusting, and narrow spirit—then it is our duty to reject them. The law of May, 1619, fixed the penalties on outrages directed against the constitutional authority of the King: The new law suppresses the word " con stitutional." 'Why this omission? Because it limits," it is said, " the Royal authority." Because it leaves without defence the Royal authority anterior tc , the Charter. To a qoestion so grave such answers appear to me very feeble. 'Who has traced the limits which are complained of ? Why, the wisdom of the King himself. Zeal has been here ill placed, for it attempts nothing less than to compel the King to withdraw the gifts. of his bounty. He desired that his power should be limited by law; and they desire that the expression of that poweieshould he unlimited. The intentions of the King were,confiding and liberal; do they entle.avour to preserve that charseter ? But I hear it said that the authority of the King, anterior to the charier, must not be exposed to the outrages of libellers. Who doubts of it ? But does not the article of the law, which wisely punishes outrages against the royal dignity, attain the object in view ? And if that is attained, is there not reason to fear that the imprudent s u pp ress ion m a y cause France to believe chat the war against words is a prelude to the war against institutions ? The more I examine this law, the more it astonishes use. I ask in vain whence coeies this spirit of distrust and of fear which we perceive in every article? In the workshops of in. dustry, as well as in the palaces of fortune, all 'feel that the House of Bourbon is necessary to France. I have a right to say, Messieurs, that a personal position, of which I have felt all the value, placed use in relation with gill Frances—with in dividuals and masses—with chiefs of the army, and chiefs of administration. Their minds were opened to me, and I have seen in all that .desire whi c h. I proclaim as the sentim e nt of Frenchmen. To-day, as in 1314, as , 800 years 'ago, the nation would elevate the same family on the pa cuir (great shield, the raising on which was equivalent to a coronation) ; the only difference between that remote time and our own is, that,all hands—and not alone privileged hands—desire to touch this august pavois to raise,it still higher. : I continue: the law w nt he i t e h ps d po r li a ri t h ei v ta s i n ,h c from ho f a jury s n e a t o l % d , t ria4r.visfe is of 1819 had directed a jury to t a k e cogn i zance a o ff ences o f t h e of o the Charter ? It has be e n s a id, most h r o e c s m s t s c ; t o o the n t f h o e r n ni c e o n w r; l i e e a c w t t i o o to justify this retrograde measure, that the Chatter only pre s served the jury as it existed before tire rest Oration--that the cognizance of offences of the press (a jurisdiction entirely new) , was d erogatory of the Charter—a law of exception ;in fine, that to re turnlo the Charter we must abolish the jury. , What a subterfuge ! Read the ti.sth article of the Charter, and judge. " The institution of juries is preserved. The Changes suielt longer ekperience may cause to be thought necessary 'can only be'carried into effect by a laW." Well : experience had pro nounced, we had acknowledged that the offences of the press could not be provided against in our precedingelegislatio n' be cause then there was no freedom of. the .press.' We had been led to think that for the dignity of letters which do honour to the human race, the writer whose name may perhaps be respected over all France—over all Europe—could not with -propriety be exposed to three, or rather two Judges of Correctional Police, placed at the bar of that summary justice between a prostitute and a swindler. It had been felt that a tribuual so inferior, and by that means so little independent, did not offer to the accused, nor to society interested in protecting the weak against the strong, the necessary guarantees ; and that an appeal to the Royal Court, although crowned with success, could not indemnify the writer for what was humiliating and disgraceful in the original procedure before the tribunal of Correctional Police. The change effected in 1819, in favour of writers, was then only the Accom plishment of the promises of the Charter for the successive im provement of the institution of the jury. To see in it a viola tion, a law of exception, would be such a perversity as can scarcely be supposed possible. The liberty of the press must respect private life ; the interior of families is sacred ; and the same disorders which sometimes disturb it cannot become, under the pen of the writer, the food for pubtic tllalignity.. The public functionaries are in this respect under the protection of the law; like private men ; and that this protection may be efficacious, every one invites the framers of the law to give the rein to their imagination, to Multiply pre- caution& and severities. Here severity is justice. They will, applaud it because it Will beAd4antageous to public order, to the honour and repose of flimilies, and, I may add, to true li berty. This is what the law of 1819 had not sufficiently done; this is the most important improvement which could be de-, sired; and we cannot comprehend. why the new law does not provide for it. To make up for this defect, th e y h ave l a b oure d to secure the repose of public functionaries. The law of 1819 authorized oral evidence to be given against them, in re ference to the reprehensible acts of their administration ; the new law abolishes the ri g ht o f g i ving suc h evidence, and admits only written proofs emanating from the hand of the presumed culprit; and yet, Messieurs, you all know that prevarications and abuses of power are committed, but are not written. A Prefect, I shall suppose, has sold an exemption ; do you think that after having accepted the price of his infamy, ie.givs a receipt ? A Mayor of a village shaltordain an arbitrary detention against a poor peasant will he be awkward enough to give his order in writing, or leave traces of his petty tyranny ? If in, respect of all these offences, and` many others, which it would be tedious to enumerate, you refuse to the writer the right of producing oral testimony, do not you soteimpimity, and by impunity, en couragement to'crimes ? And can a law which thus disarria weakness, and scandalously protects the oppresSor, be a law cf liberty--a law conformable to the Charter \o; It cannot be believed ; and it is our duty to reject it. I have the less hesitation about these rigorous conclusions, diet I have in my favour the authority of an upright ,Minister a Who crowned a virtuous life by a glorious clezth—l mean Malesher. bcs. near what this great man wrote 56'years ago, before the Charter, to the encyclopedists who implored the severity of powt r against the Journalists of those clays :—" My principle of r berty is not confined to literature', arid am much inclined .to extend it to'the *cleric of Government, without even excepting strictures on the conduct• of the Ministry. .I cannot give this liberty as regards all other administrations ; but as for mire, no one can complain that I refuse it. lr then there is any part of my administration which is found reprehensible, those who complain may give their reasons , to the, public. ' I beg them not to name me, because that is not customary in France, but they may describe me as clearly as they please, and I .)10.• !Mae them full permission." D o you t hi n k, Messieurs, th at A a maiLwho spoke so noble a language in 1758, 'would have me fused in 1822 to admit against himself oral proof ? :Ile would have rejected with scorn such humiliating precautions—his great soul would have felt indignant. Lvote, with Malesherbes, ,the rejection of the law.. _ If, however, it were posSible to hop e t or -certain transactions, I would ca, sent to adopt the law with three modifications : I. That ihe word ConStitutional be restored to the second article. 2. That the oral proof consecrated by the law of May, 1819, be admitted against public functionaries in respect of the acts of their administration. 3. That the trial by Jury bz reitored, instead of the Correc tional Police. . PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. ~ illartls, 5° die Martii, 1822. • Boo.NOE. MARKET BlLE—Power to Committee to send for persons, papers, and records. S AK BARK . , }Returns ordered. . pro N not.rit N 'RE C T 0R Y - ' .ROADs—Chester and Whitchurch, Ruthin - and Mold,- and Tetbury and Chalford—Bills ordered'. Guldeford and Farn ham, and Hundred House—Bills presented', and read a first time. Wigan and Preston—Petition from Clayton-le-Woods. and Vt r iiittloe-WoodA, against, to lie on the tqble.. Ya.rpole and Pr:steigae—Petition for Bill reported, Report to lie on the table. Mineheal Roads Bill—Paittun from Cutconibe, Exton, and. Brompton Regis ; also; from Cutcombe and other parishes, against: referred to dr; Comthittee on the Bill ; counsel ordered Voices. DUBLIN FOUNDLING Petition for leave to present a Peti- HOSPITAL tion for a Bill . reported; leave given; PAVlNG—Bristol Petition presented accordingly, and referred to a Committee. GAS LlGHT—Bradford (York)—:read time, and committed. COAL DuTrEs—Betition from Carnaivon, for a reduction of the Duties on Coals carried coastways, to lie on the table. AGRICULTURAL DISTREss--Petitions from Doncaster, and Dorsetshire and adjacent parts of Hants and Wilts—to lie on the Table. Petition from Soke of .Petetborough, to' lie, o the Table, and to be.printett. •,_ • Szwtns—Lord Wm. Bentmck, Sir Charles 11114 e, and " Fellowes, to be added to the Committee. S uoa passed.n , TOBACCO, &c. DUTIES BlLL—read third time, and NV ERWortics—London Bridge—Bill ordered. CItIMI tAI.. CAUSES—BiII to regalate the mode of choosing .la ries, ordered. PRISON s—Select Committee appointed, " to consider of the Laws relating to Prisons, and report their Observations thereupon to the House." Power to send for persons, papers./ and records-; five to be the quorum. ALIENS AND DENIZENS BlLL—presented, and read a first time. . RECEIVERS. GENERAL BILL- 44 to amend the Laws relating to the Land and Assessed Taxes, so far as respects Receivers General in England and Wales," presented, and read a first time, to be read a second time on Friday, and to be printed. - NOTICE OF 'MOTION ihr-THIS DAY. Mr. Grey Bennet,—The circumstances that occurred at the: Funeral of her late Majesty the Queen. ORDERS OF THE DAY for THIS DAY. 1. Supply—Report. 2. Supply—Committee. 3. Ways and Means—Committee. 4. Annual Malt Tax Act—Report thereupon. 5. Circuit Commissions Bill—Committee. PRIVATE BILL —Second Reading for This Day. Abingdon Road. ' TO CORRESPONDENTS. We are sorry that we are allged to defer the last Letter from TALTIIYIIIDs till to-morrow—The Poetical Dialogn be tween the PEDLAR and FARMER, also to-morrow. *** For the Letter of SIDNEY, on the State of Ireland, see the Front Page. PRICE OF STOCKS , TIIIS DAY AT ONE We t .° cx . Bank Stock shut 5 per Cent. Navy An. lozilip,. 3 per Cent. Red. shut India Bonds 433. 4.5*. 3 perCent.Cons....73j 79 78 i f Excheq. Bills 1 2 pr. 4 per Cent. HIGH WATER At LONDOT Morning, 0 minutes after 3. kl BRIDGE TO-MORROW Evening, '24 minutes after 3. E Sl. SOLED! .g 2 UIS DICERE FALS -..Ib7DEAT LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH G, 1522. It is iniPossible to regard, without some feel ings of anxiety, the accounts which haie lately reached us of disturbances in so inflammable a capital as Paris. The same riotous disposition manifested in our own metropolis would occasion comparatively little uneasiness, from the reliance " h we habitually pl ace on th e stea d y execu ti'ohtitcof the laws, and on the love and good under standing of those laws prevailing among a great Majority of the inhabitants. Even . in Paris, the occurrences which have hitherto taken place may, perhaps, notic e ra th er as symptomat i c app r eara s nces of a distempered spirit, than as indi cations. of an organized system, or .fore-runners. of an approaching crisis. In that metropolis itself, if we may judge by:the state of the funds, they are not very seriously considered. Allow ing, however, (which is not at all certain,) that the proceedings in question have'no tendency, to' immediate danger, 'they shew the prevalence in many, minds of that mischievous excitement, which renders the transition rapid from feel,' 'ing to action. Au inclitUttiou to think cootempi