The Sun. — London, England, 1822-03-19 00:00:00

The idle Crointuissioners in office, while the clerks were in office -who were perhaps in some respects incapable, but who were intliqutably attentive. Sir GEORGE CLERK said, the House should not form an idea that the Commissioners had neglected their duty, but that they had had such accumulated duties to perform, during the war, that they could not attend to them. ' Sir ISAAC COFFIN said the Commissioners were all use fully employed, and he could not agree to any reduction in their number. The 'louse then divided upon Mr. Hume's amendment-- Ayes -1. , - 30 ~QES Majority for the Ministers - -36 On strangers returning to the gallery, Mr. BnOGDEN read the next Resolution, that the sum of 25,2651. be voted to de fray the expellees of Deptford Yard. Mr. BERNAL said, that in the Estimates for ship-build- ing, rebuilding, and repairing for the years 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1817, 1818, 1819, there appeared a difference of nearly :,et T,4001. In the paper laid upon the table, there was no charge for building in merchants' yards in 1819, while there 'z.as:a•.considerable charge in the preceding year. He could :tot find in the 'Navy Estimates the origin of this difference. -There appeared to be this yer in the dock:yards, a great re duction in the quantity of timber used and the number of workmen.employed. What he complained of, therefore, was, chat the establishment of supervising officers continued nearly the same. While so few artificers were employed, he could not see the use of having as many to look after them as when they were more numerous. Some of the sub-measurers might be dispensed with. He understood the shipwrights complained of haying their salary reduced from 21. 55., which they had •during the war, to 11. 2s. 6d. Some of them, as heswas in formed, were put to a species of work in Chatham yard, at which they could earn no more than 158.4 week. The ship v,-rights had; he thought, a right to complain of being super annuated on only one-third of their salary, while 'some civil officers were superannuated on three-fourths. He wished to receive some explanation on what were called circular sterns. The expence of building them was four times•greater than that of souare sterns, while ships built with the circular sterns car rig: as he was informed, from two to four guns less , on their broadside. Under the head' of Chatham Dock-yard, he found there* was a clerk of the survey receiving a salary of 2501. a year. though he had been employed for the last ten years in the Navy Office, his business at Chatham being done by another person for 801. a year. Sir G. COCKBURN -said; he admitted • the justice of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Bernal's) observation, with respect to • supervising officers. ' When they decided on reducing the work in the dock yards, it became naturally a subject of inquirywitsts reduction ought to be made in the number of supervising officers. The necessity of reducing them was seen and admitted, but the Hon. Gentleman knew that measures of this kind could not be immediately carried- into effect. A reduction-, however, had been decided on, and would be put in operation on the sane principle as in the Victualling Office. 'With respect to circular sterns, no plan of that kind had been yet fully decided on. It was a mistake to suppose that they cut off any thing from the length of the main deck. The great advantage was the addi tional strength they gave to the whole fabric. The Admiralty had sent the first vessel built on this plan round Cape Horn for trial; but since that period, it had been much improved. .Sii B. MARTIN said, the Clerk of the Survey alluded to -by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Bernal) was a very intelligent officer, who had been most beneficially and laboriously em ployed for a long time in the Nary Office, on business in which his services were highly useful. This however would soon be terminated, and he would therefore be returned to Chatham. He could assure the Hon. Gentleman this officer had not been 'idle. There could not be a more diligent man. This was the rfirst time he heard of any complaints on the part of the ship wrights. On the contrary, numerous letters had been received :from them, thanking the Admiralty for the attention paid to -thein. Not less, he was sure, than 24,000 persons had been saved from starvation by the plan adopted in the dock yards with respect to ship-wrights. With respect to the omission of charge for ship-building in India in 1819, he inquired of the clerks, and their opinion was, that such a return had not been called for, or it would not have been omitted. He did not wish, however, to shelter' himself under any excuse of that kind. Whether at sea or on shore, he was willing to take upon himself all the responsibility . that belonged to the situa tion. If there was any.neglect, it belonged to him alone. It could not have been a wilful concealment of facts, for they ap peared in the estimates. - Sir 3. YORKE said he was one of those who recommended the circular stern. The Hon. Gentleman stated shortly the .gradual improvements that took place in the stern since the rattle of Trafalgar. The great advantage was, that it gave more strength to the whole fabric. Mr. BETLNAL complained that there was so great a varia tion between the Papers laid on the table and the Estimates proposed ; and that, after voting a given sum for the Navy Estimates, they were subsequently called upon to pay between two and three hundred thousand pounds for the last few years. He had heard that thirty or forty of the men who worked in the dock-yard were employed as servants, in contravention of the rules of the yard. Chips were also sold contrary to the •. same rule. Sir B. MARTIN did not know of the abuses complained of. Ile did not believe they existed : but every inquiry should be made into the subject. Mr. HUME repeated the statement made by Mr. Bernal, -and asked if it were intended to reduce the salaries in the dock yards ? The salaries this year were 202,0001. ;—last year they were 210,0001. ; whereas in 1792, it was ony 25,0001. The carpenter received, in 1792, 3001. a-year, and now he received ball. ; and, the increase went on in the same ratio through every other department. The Committee of Finance recom .mended :great reductions in the dock-yards, particularly in the salaries waieh were unnecessarily large. This became a mat -ter of the greater necessity, when the working artizans had on ly from 11. to 11. 10s. a-week. The scale of superannuation :was also too high. If a clerk served thirty years, he retired with 301. a-year ; whereas a Captain in the navy.had little _more than half that sum ; even a master-bricklayer retired with .1971. a-year—a sum equal to that of a Colonel. One clerk at Chatham retired on 4501. a-year ; and a blacksmith at Dept `.ford on 1971-a-year. Such things should be remedied, and he hokled they speedily would be. Sir G. CLERK—AII the superannuations would fall un der the operations of the Superannuation Bill. The Board of Admiralty were determined to act fully up to the recommenda tion of the Finance Committee, and put all the departments :on the. most economical footing. Sir. -Y. OMNANEY said a few words, which could not be :distinctly heard. The Resolution was then agreed to. It was then moved, that 29,0051. les. should be :allowed for Yard. Mr. IL SMITH said, the office of clerk of the rope-yard was „unnecessary, as it was intended to reduce it. Mr. CROSIER said, the duty of the Clerk 'of the Rope yard be transferred to another ; and until the whole of the. Deck-yards were revised, it would be impossible 'to shew •the general reductions. Sir J. YORKE said, all this was nothing more than the re .viewers reviewed. They heard a great deal of revision, but .after all, nothing wag done. rlr. CitOKER said, the Board of Revision were occupied during the war, when prices were high, and it would be now necessary to adapt the changes to the existing.circumstances of the times. Mr. T. WILSON said, there was no necessity for a general ..revision of the yards in order to do away with an unnecessary , office. If the money now called for was not voted, it would be covered by the extraordinaries, so that it was merely a waste of ;time to go on in this manner, until the public accounts were .much more simplified. Mr. DE*NNI,T Said, the dock-yard at Woolwich during the der; 30,4111., and now, ,in the sixth year of peace, it was 29,000 and 5 That Sii ple. fact was enough to shew tlis economy of Ministers. Mr. AS'IELL was,satisfied enough was not done in the way of reduction, and - he'should therefore move that the sum should ,only be 23,4551. Mr. CROKER--The-whole of the office was not useless, although the Hon. Comptroller gave it as an opinion that it might be done away. The duty, however, should be performed ..by some one; and that some one should be adequately paid. When the whole state of the yards was under the consideration ,of Government, he put it to the Hon. Member if he would de range the 'organization of the yard. for so small a sum as 5001. a year, It would be impeding the progress of a wise economy . ,to proceed in the way now proposed. . Sir B. MARTIN said his opinion 'was merely confined to himself and not shared by others. The rope clerks at Wool .wich could not be put down, whatever they might De in some -others. The original resolution was then agreed to. It was moved that 34,7601. 19s. 3d. be granted for Chatham .Dock-yard. Mr. HUME said, it was too bad that there should be an in t7r2ase this year over the last of 1,7001. for Chatham Dock yard Now why was that Why had a Commissioner three clerk. ,costing the public 7501. a-year ? A full fourth could be de .ducted from this vote. _ _ . Mr. CROKER said., the Commissioners would next year have more clerks,Thecause he would have is great - accession cf .4nty. Any individual _alteration now would prejudice the, great work of general redaction, which he pledged himself was now going on. The original Resolution was then agreed to. It was moved that the sum of 52,080 L be granted for the Yard at Sheerness. That 48,0321. be granted for Xortsmouth Yard. And that 42,7411. be granted for Plymouth Yard. ' Mr. BENNET made some observations, which were re plied' to by Sir John Osboxne.—The ~Resolution was, then agreed to. The next Resolution was for 9,5431. for the expenses attend ing the out-ports for the year 1822, 3lr. II U3IE thought that there was some mistake in the estimates, as he found that a naval officer had been withdrawn from Deal, whilst one was still kept up at Harwich. CROKER replied, that Harwich was the principal re venue port fen the ships from the North Sea. • Sir G. COCKBURN said that all the, revenue cruisers had no other place to go to. Sir J. 'VORKE thought that Sheerness was as capable of delivering stores as Harwich. 3lr. HUME observed, that he believed the person who now held this office at Harwich was not a naval officer, but one of the Corporation of that place. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded to notice the.expenses of the Leith establishment, of the Chaplain of that place, and of the transport establishment at Cowes. He wished particularly to know why an expence of 3681. should be incurred by the establishment at Cowes, when one was kept up at Portsmouth for the same purpose ? He should therefore propose a reduction of 4251. on the item for the naval office at Harwich, 5751. on the Leith establishment, 3681. on the Cowes establishment, and 2001. on the Chaplain's salary. This would leave 7,9721., and he 'should move as an amendment that that sum should be inserted instead of the original vote. The amendment being put from the Chair, Mr. BATHURST made some observation in a low tone of voice. Sir B. MARTIN contended, that the services of a naval officer at Harwich were absolutely necessary. He also de fended the other items which had been attacked by Mr. Hume. Sir I. COFFIN observed, that the storekeeper at Harwich had as much to do as any other storekeeper. The ships could not get to Sheerness at all times. Sir J. YORKE said, that his Hon. Friend was mistaken. He must know that one tide was sufficient to waft ships from Harwich to Sheern6s. Sir I. COFFIN asked if the Hon. Gentleman had ever heard of an easterly wind lasting for six weeks together, which pre vented the ships from moving at all. If the /lon. Gentleman had not, he (Sir I. Coffin) had. Mr. BERNAL said, that there was no chaplain at Dept ford or Woolwich. Mr. CRORER replied; thatarcallowance was made to the clergymen of those places. The amendment was then withdrawn, and the original Re solution carried without a division. The next Resolution was for 31,8381. for defraying the sala ries of officers of the Foreign Dock-yards. Mr. HUME asked why so large a sum was asked for that service, if the establishment had been reduced. It appeared to him that the money voted last year had been entirely thrown away. The naval establishment had been withdrawn. He would ask also why an Admiral had been withdrawn from India, whilst they were continued at Portsmouth and Ply mouth ? If an Admiral were to be kept anywhere, he con tended that it ought to be in India. He was satisfied that the East India Company would be content to bear the expence. Sir J. YORKE concurred with Mr. Hume in thinking it indispensable that an Admiral should be kept up on the Indian station. There was another point also on which he thought explanation due, he meant respecting the withdrawal of the same officer from the Windward Isles. Mr. CROICER said, that it had been found to be the gene ral practice that no Admiral should be continued there. Commodore had been sent out in 1798, who had returned after two year's stay ; and the East India Company had then been consulted, and thought the further continuance of that officer on that station unnecessary. Resolution agreed to. The next Resolution was for 40,7671. for defraying the sala ries of the Officers of the Victualling Yards for the year 1822. The Resolution was agreed to, after some remarks from Mr. BERNAL and Sir B. MARTIN. The next Resolution was for 63,6741. for the Medical Esta blishment, for the year 1822. Mr. HUIVIE asked whether the expellee of this establishment was to remain the same as it had been during the war ? , Mr. CROKER shewed that a great saving had taken place. The Resolution was then carried. The next Resolution was, for 6,6551. 4s. 7d. for the establish ment of the Naval College. Mr. HUME objected to the expense which this establishment caused to the country. He thought that the plan of superin tendence might be considerably improved, and that there was no occasion for the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, and quan tity of clerks at present engaged. Sir J. YORKE said, that there were now left but a few offices for the acceptance of retired Naval Officers. Every thing had been taken away from them. He implored his Hon. Friend not to lay his pruning-knife to this branch. Sir G. COCKBURN defended the establishment. The Governor, he observed, was 'lever absent. Of all the reduc tions proposed by the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, he should certainly oppose this. There were 70 young men educated on this establishment, who would, he trusted, prove an honour to their profession. Sir I. COFFIN eulogised the effect of education, and as serted the necessity of the establishment. Sir M. RIDLE Y differed from the Hon. Member for Aber deen on this point. The Governor, he observed, had not only to intrust the youths in naval tactics, but also to examine them in mathematics. After a• few words from Sir F. thstmANEY, the Resolution was carried. The next Resolution was for 121,4811. for the wages of the officers and men belonging to the ships in ordinary.—Agreed to. £7,778 for victualling the ships in ordinary.—Agreed £68,000 for the expense of harbouring, mooring, and rigging. Agreed to. The question that the sum of 300,0001. be granted to his Ma jesty for Ordinary Repairs of his Majesty's Ships, Docks, &c. in the several yards, was then proposed by Mr. 13110GDEN'. Sir J. YORKE said, that in this very enormous sum he per ceived that a place was given to tar, and he begged to inform the House that a new mode of ejecting tar into the sides of ships had been lately adopced, with what success it was not for him to state. The practice, however, had been discontinued by the same wisdom which originally prescribed it, and he wished to know froin the great physician who had recommend ed the practice so strenuously during the last year, why it had been. discontinued ? Sir B. MARTIN.—The practice had been discontinued in consequence of an order from the Admiralty. Some 'danger was supposed to have arisen from the practice alluded to by his Gallant Friend ; but he still thought that these apprehensions were idle feirs, and that the result of an investigation would establish speedily the utility of the practice. Mr. HUME regretted that the investigation had been so long deferred, since it might have preserved those vessels about whose safety very serious apprehensions were entertained. He trusted that those fears would prove as idle as the Honourable Member who last addressed the House seemed to consider them, but he was informed that the sides of the vessels had been so saturated with gaseous tar, that they were rendered quite in flammable. The question was then put and carried. The next Resolution was £964,000 for the Half-pay of Naval Officers. Mr.RUME said he could not allow this vote to pass with out some observation upon the promotion which had taken place since the war. It was thought right at the close of the war to promote 1000 Midshipmen to the rank of Lieutenant; but there were 98 Midshipmen promoted in the following year, and various numbers in the succeeding years making in all 428. There were also of other ranks promoted 797, as would be seen by a papep which he held in his hand, and which was a Return of the Number of Midshipmen promoted to be Lieu tenants in the Navy, of Lieutenants to be Commanders, of Commanders to be Post Captains, of Captains to be Rear-Ad mirals, of Rear-Admirals to be Vice-Admirals, Vice-Admi rals to be Admirals, and the total number of the whole, from Ist January 1816 to Ist January 1822, and which he read to the House as follows : 1515 1"5 L E9 I ct O 3 to 9° Midshipmen to be Lieu- 1 y 8 36 64 56 57 117 428 tenants Lieutenants to be Corn- t 33 10 23 30 17 60 173 manders ) Commanders to be Post 11 26 16 17 3 18 91 Captains Post Captains to be 1 25 19 44 Rear-Admirals ' j Rear-Admirals to bet 25 14 39 Vice-Admirals 1 Vice-Admirals to be 1 14 8 22 Admirals j ' Total Number pro 1 1 142 172 103 167 77 1 236 1 797 moted in each year ) He objected also to the principle of the promotions which took place at the late Coronation; it was not the principle which.had been acted upon on former occasions. He was prepared to shew the House that Commanders .had beenyromoted who were low down upon the list, in preference to others higher up. This was quite unnecessary, and under the circumstances, too, of what could only be regarded as a pageant. It was impossible that talking about thei present distresses of the country could produce any relief, while expenses were so needlessly increased. ,He knew that in' these promotions there was a Parliamentary influence exerted of both sides of the House, and he hoped Ministers would look with more wisdom to the situation of the country, and resist it altogether. Ile then contrasted the List of the PlomotiOns 'Since the last "War, with that of the period of the peace in 1792, and asserted that promotion, as conducted at present, was too much for the sake of patronage; ' Sir G. COCKBURN said, that the Hon. Member was quite deceiied in supposing that Parliamintary interference had the slightest influence upon ,that promotion. The officers se lected were those who had been employed since the peace, and their seryice during the war had been combined with their sub. ! sequent exertions. Mr. ELLICE was compelled, on, this occasion, to dissent from his Friend, the Hon. Member for Aberdeen. This attack upon the half-pay of young , generous men, who had passed a very considerable portion of their lives in the service, was one which never would receive his approbation, and sure he was that it would not obtain the sanction of the house.--(Hear !)—This was a bad economy that, after ten years passed in the service, would leave men, educated to a profession, without one single shilling to reward their services. Of all the branches of the service to which the Hon. Member's principles of economy had applied, this was the one to which least of all they were appli cable. He thought, on the contrary, that the Navy had been 'reduced beyond all policy. Sir I. COFFIN—In confirmation of whavhad fallen from the Hon. Member for Coventry, he had to state, that his own nephew was ten years a midshipman, and he had never ven tured to solicit promotion for him. Sir J. YORKE said that he was sorry to ,perceive that his gallant Friend was so encumbered by his modesty as not to so licit promotion for his nephew.—(Laughter.) Mr. BENNET defended the conduct of his friend (Mr. Hume), who, as he said, simply made a charge which he pro mised to prove at a not distant period—that promotion was not fairly distributed. Mr. ELLICE said a few words in explanation. Mr. HUME said that they had only been employed during the night in an attempt to reduce the Civil Establishment. He still complained that the number promoted was greater than the necessities of the country required. Sir G. COCKBURN explained, that when a Flag Officer returned from his station he was permitted to promote a Mid shipman to the rank of a Lieutenant. , A sum not exceeding 140,4951. 18s. 7d. was then voted to his Majesty for defraying the expenses of Superannuations, Pen sions, and Allowances. A sum not exceeding 1,5001. was voted to his Majesty for paying a Bounty to Chaplains. A sum not exceeding 7,0001. was voted to his Majesty to pay the Widows and Orphans on the Compassionate List. A sum not exceeding 205,0001. to make good the deficiency in the funds of the Charity for the relief of the Widows of Commission and 'Warrant Officers of the Royal Navy was then proposed to be granted to his Majesty. Mr. HUME inquired how the addition of 73,0001. had arisen to the sum voted last year for a similar purpose ? Sir S. OSBORNE, in reply, said, that it was created by a deficiency in the funds, and by greater demands upon the Charity. 3lr. lIUME asked what became of the allowances which were deducted from the officers' pay for the increase of the fund ? The difference was very great, and ought to be inves tigated. Mr. CROKER said that these contributions were extremely small. The whole sum amounted to 105,0001., and these con tributions did not exceed 25,0001. The difference had arisen because all the stock accumulated during the war had been sold out, the last 35,0001. having been disposed of last year, to reduce the expense upon the country. They were now com pelled to call upon Parliament for the entire sum. Mr. HUME contended that some scale ought to be formed to prevent an extravagant application of the public money to those who were not in need of assistance of this description. Mr. CROKER,—There was a scale formed which he thought a just one, restraining the grant of eleemosynary aid to those who derived double the amount to which they would have been entitled as officers' widows from some other source. Mr. BANKES said, that these grants were in the nature of benevolences, and that they should not be given to those who could live without them. The Resolution was then put and carried. £126,772 for the Superannuation of the Clerks. , Mr. IiUME expressed his wish, th a t th e Milit ar y A s yl um would be reduced in the same manner as the Navy Asylum. Mr. CROKER said, that th e c i v il esta bli s h ment o f t h e Naval Asylum had alone been reduced. The Naval part was still continued as full as ever. £720,000 for Ships Building and Repairing in Merchants' Yards. .£154,200 for the Dock yards' alterations and improvement. Mr. HUNiE moved, that the Chairman should report pro gress, as he felt that the grant for Sheerness could not be hastily gone through. The Resolution was withdrawn. FIVE PER CENT. STOCKHOLDERS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged leave, before the Chairman reported progress, to vote the sum of 2,700,0001. to p a y, off and discharge such' holders of Navy Five per Cent. Stock as had signified their dissent upon the question of receiving Four per Cent. Stock. The Right Hon. Gentle man accordingly reposed a grant of that sum. Mr. lIIJME wished to know from what fund the amount was to be taken ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it would be taken out of the general revenue of the country, and pro vided for when the question came again before the House.— The resolution was then agreed to. Mr. BROGDEN having reported progress, the House re sumed, the Report was received, and the Committee ordered to sit again on Wednesday. Mr. NVALLACE stated that no discussion would take place on the Warehousing Bill before the holidays. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the House adjourned at One o'Clock. HOLDERS OF FOREIGN GRAIN. The following is a Copy of a Petition pre sented to Parliament by Sir MATHEW WHITE RIDLEY, Bart., on behalf of certain Merchants who are large holders of Foreign Grain at New castle-upon-Tyne : TO the Honourable the COMMONS of the UNITED KINGDON of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, in PARLIAMENT as sembled. The Humble PETITION of the undersigned MERCHANTS of NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, Sheweth, That your Petitioners are considerable holders of Foreign Corn warehoused under the King's Lock. That in consequence of the Act of Parliament (commonly called Mr. Peel's Bill) the value of the currency, as admitted by a Committee of your Honourable House, has been greatly increased ; and of course, the price at which Foreign Corn is admissible for home consumption, must, in effect, have been raised in an equal proportion. That from long experience in the Corn Trade, your Petiti tioners have no hesitation In ascribing the present low prices of Corn to the effects of the late Corn Bill, which, by inducing a belief that 80s. per. quarter would be the lowest price for wheat, necessarily led to the investment of large capiWs in Agriculture, and, in the end, has produced a considerable over-growth of Corn. That your Petitioners therefore humbly submit to your 'Ho nourable House, that a reduction in the Import Limit, whilst it would be an Act simple of justice to your Petitioners, would also, (from its tendency to restrain sithin due bounds the cul tivation of our own lands) bp permanently beneficial to the Landed Interest of the Country. That it appearing to be in the contemplation of your Ho nourable House, so far to modify the operation of the Corn Bill as to guard against the introduction of any excessive quantity of Foreign Corn, on any future opening of the ports, your Petitioners, with the utmost deference, further submit to your Honourable House the propriety of limiting the quantity admitted to entry in the course of the first three months, exclu sively to the supply of Foreign Corn already warehoused in this country ; as the obvious consequence of such a measure would be an enhancement of the value of the property of your Petitioners, unaccompanied by any injury to our own Corn Growers. %our Petitioners humbly intreat your Honourable House to consider the premises, and to grant such relief to your Peti tioners as their case may seem justly to deserve.—And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c. On Saturday last, at Leafielcl, in the Forest of Wychwool, in this county, the first stone of the new chapel to be erected there was laid by the . Right Honourable Lord CHuftc- HILL. The ceremony was conducted on principles niost truly pious. Several of the chief inhabitants .testified their zeal by putting their hand to the work: The scene closed with appropriate devotion, and select music suitable to the oc casion. After which his Lordship, who is a principal bene factor to the Chapel, gave •also a further and liberal donation, to be applied to the ornamental and beautifying parts of the building.—(Oxford Journal, Nia-ch We received this morning the Paris Papers of Saturday, from which the following are extracts : PARIS, MARCH IG.—No disturbances occurred either with in or outside the churches in which the Missionaries officiated. It is expected that the Lectures of the Law School will be resumed the beginning of next week. FRENCH FUNDS. March 15, Five per Cents. Bank Stock 15 88 f. 75 c. VIENNA, MARCH 4.—The following are the latest accounts received from Constantbiople, by the last Mail of 11th February On tilt Ist of the month several Tartars arrived in the capital from Chourschid Pacha, with accounts which leave no doubt of the fate of Ali Pacha. Immediately after the arrival of the news from Joannina, a resolution was taken to send Mehmed Pacha, late Governor of the Dardanelles, as Sefaskier, and first in command after Chourschid Paella, to the Morea, with a corps of troops, said to be very well disciplined; and on the sth February, the Cap tain Pacha received official information of the actual sailing of the Expedition from the Dardanelles. It consists of GO sail, under the command of a Pepeghi Hall Bey, and has on board 12,000 land troops, commanded by - Mehmed On the 9th there were launched in the presence of the Sultan and his suite, a ship of the line, of 80 guns, two sloops, 'and two uncommonly large gun-boats., It seems, certain, that about the end of March a fleet of 40 sail will go to the Archipelago, under the command of the Captain Pacha, who will hoist his flag on board the new ship of the line, Mansur Liva (Standard of Victory.) The five Greeks Bishops, whom we lately mentioned, are still under arrest. The Patriarch sends to them, every morning to inquire whether they have any orders to give relative to their dioceses. The Porte has caused a large sum of money to be given to the Patriarch for the purpose of repair ing his metropolitan church and residence, which were da maged by the mob in the tumults of April last year. Nothing farther has transpired of hostilities wish the Per sians ; but a strong Turkish Army is said to have assembled near Erzerum. EXTRACT OF A PRIVATE LETTER.—M. Tattschitcheff, Envoy EXtraordinary from the Court of Russia, is arrived here with powers to treat definitively with our Government, relative to the affairs of the Ottoman Porte. As the results of his con ferences with the Prince de Metternich must be sent to Peters burg, it is thought that the new negociations will not be con cluded within a month. MARCH s.—Letters from Leghorn say, that the Greeks are to cede - to the North Americans a convenient harbour, for which they are to aid the Greeks with a well equipped squadron, whkch, however, is to bear the Greek flag. Letters from Smyrna state, .that orders have been given in the districts of Natolia, for the levy of considerable numbers of men, who are marched to Syria, where the Porte intends to assemble a large army in the Spring. Brussels Journals to the 15th, and Hamburgh Papers to the 16th, have .arrived, but their con tents are not of any importance. It is reported in the Ilainbqrg Correspon denten of the 2d instant, that the English Minis try are negociating with the Austrian Govern ment for the liquidation of the debt owing by the latter, and which is stated to amount to thirty-one millions. Whatever truth there may be in the rumoured negociation, (and which we deem a very probable matter under existing cir cumstances), the debt of Austria is grossly exag gerated : when it was brought forward in Par liament a year or two ago, its amount was seven teen millions sterling. The Sierra Leone Gazettes, to the middle of, January, bring the following : " Governor GRANT had opened au intercourse with the KING of the Toulahas, by which the British will probably derive lucrative trade and African discovery. This kingdom is only a few days journey from the Niger. , The following deaths have taken place on the Gold Coast : EumINA., the Dutch Governor; ACCRA, Gover nor-General of the Danish settlements; and Go vernor GORDON of the English settlement. A. deputation had arrived at Sierra Leone from ALMAMY ABDAL KADER, King of the Toulahas, at the head of which was a Prince, and a Maho metan Priest and his wife. This singular man came all the way from Egypt to the Mandingoo nation, with important information of the geo graphy of Oriental Africk; he had passed through Tombuctoo, and was of an opinion that the Niger and the Nile were the same river. The French and Portuguese vessels carry on an active slave trade." (Extract of a Letter from Havannah, Jan. 28.) " At present the communication between this port and Matanzas is suspended, in consequence of the number of Patriot cruizers on the coast. Last evening two brigs of that description were not more than two gun-shots off the Moro ; this has caused the delay of the sailing of the convoy bound to Cadiz, which was in readiness, and will not depart while they are threatened by so formidable a foe." From the conversation in the House of Com mons last night, respecting the Alalt Duty Repeal Bill, it is obvious how little the true and prac tical principles of political economy, or rather the practical application of those principles to the affairs of the country, are yet understood. On the abstract principle, it is true, that a reduction of the malt duty ought to be followed by a re duction of the price of beer. Asa practical measure, it is certain that the reduction proposed cannot have that effect ; and, even if such an effect might have followed, that it is far from being a necessary result. This we distinctly pointed out, immediately on the proposition for the reduction of the tax, in our leading article of the 18th February last. It is worthy of remark, that the price of spirits distilled from malt had fallen greatly before the reduction of the tax; and that the price of beer, brewed from malt, as is now avowed by the brewers themselves, will not fall after the tax is reduced ! Let Go vernment and the Legislature see, in this, a practical proof of the fallacy and danger of legis lating upon abstract principles, without a dis tinct view and comprehensive knowledge of all the actual circumstances and practical ef fects belonging to and consequent upon their proceedings. It is lamentable to think that, on principles equally fallacious, and frcm views equally superficial, — designs are enter tained of abrogating the old Naval and Commer cial Policy of the country, on which our poWer and greatness have been raised. All who tho roughly understand the actual condition of the State, and the true operation of the present sys tem, aS well as of those unsound and fatal inno- vations which are proposed to be introduced, distinctly perceive that the delusive theories of the fashionable Economists, if further adcipted and. persisted in, will lead this great nation into irre trievable difficulties and irreparable calamity We implore the Legislature to pause—to appoint Committee upon Committee, and examine evi dence after evidence,—to investigate the propo sitions which may be submitted to it throughout, —and carefully to calculate, not the theoretical, but the practical results of every measure pro posed for its adoption, before it consents to alter. the policy on which the intercourse with our Colonies has hitherto been regulated. The confusion of ideas, which, it is obvious, has PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Lunce, 18° die Martii, 1822. GAS LlGHT—Warwick, Warrington, Southampton, Leith, and Stockton—Bills presented,- and read a first time. Wakefield, and Bradford (York)—read a third time and passed. Can . terbury—read a second time and committed. Dover—leave given to present the Bill on or before Monday. Halifax— Petition of Owners of Messuages, against, referred to the Committee on.the Bill; Counsel ordered. IN CLOSURES—Towersey (Bucks), Taunton Deane(Somerset) Lower Mitton (Worcester), Sturton, &c. (Nottingham) Dringhouses (York), and Anton (Wilts)—Bills presented and read a first time. _ Itoins—Reading and Basingstoke, Bishop's Castle, &c. Eve. sham, Surrey Leatherhead, Northampton and Market liar borough, Whitney and Bredwardine, Plymouth and Stone house, Axminster, .Honiton, Tetbury, Dudbridge, &c. Shaftesbury and SherboTne, and Burton and Preston—Bills presented, arid read a th•st time. Nether Bridge and Mill throp, and Chippenham—read second time, .and committed. Donington—read third time and passed. PAVlNG—Chelmsford, Tiverton, Sommers Town, and Bristol —Bills presented, and read a first time. Alloy—read se cond time, and committed. ROCISDALE MARKET TAY FISHERIES NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE TOLLS GAOL BRIDGE—Little Hampton RAILWAY—Severn and Wye DRAINAGE—Deeping Fen IMPRO VE ME N T—Alnwick, Bromley (Middlesex), and Camden Town FEVER HOSPITALS (Ireland) IRON COFFINS _ CARNATIC CREDITORS BILL—" for farther continuing the powers granted by an Act of the 46th year of his late Ma jesty, for enabling the Commissioners'acting in execution of an Agreement made between the East India Company and the private Creditors of the Nabobs of the Carnatic, the bet ter to carry the same into effect," presented, and read a first time. 1 HAVERFORDWEST GAOL Leave given to pre- BRIDEWELL—Lanark and Glasgow sent the Bill to- C II u Rex—Holborn (St. Andrew's) morrow (this day). BitisT of. PORT BlLL—read a second time and committed. Bills presented, and read a first time. POOR—Leave given to present the Bill on or before Monday. NORFOLK GAOL BlLL—reported ; to be ingrossed• AGRICULTURAL DISTRE ss—Petition from Hundred of Web- tree—to lie on the table, and to be printed. Petition from the District of Strathmore, referred to the Committee on AgricAltural Distress. TURNPIKE LAWS AMENDMENT BlLL—read a second time, and recommitted for Friday. WAREHOUSING AND NAVIGATION ACTS—considered in Committee ; Resolutions for Bills reported, and agreed to. IMPORTATION OF GOODS NAVIGATION Bills ordered. ANCIENTCOMMERCIAL STATUTESREPEAL WAREHOUSING OF GOODS LAND TAX COMMISSIONERS NAMES BlLL—read a third • 'time, and passed. NOTICES OF MOTIONS for THIS DAY. 1. Mr. Sykes,—Repeal of the Duty on Tallow Candles. 2. Sir William Cunningham Fairlie,—Bill to amend Act (10 Geo. 3.) for improvement of 'Lands in Scptland held under strict entail. ORDERS OF THE PAY for THIS DAY. 1. Supply—Report. 2. Smugglers Commitments Bill—Further Consideration of Report. 3. Malt Duty Repeal Bill—Third Reading. 4. Irish Five per Cents. Act ; Committee thereupon. 5. Receivers General Bill—Committee. • PRIVATE BlLLS—Second Readings for This Day. 1. Seaton, &c. Inclosure 5. Higham Ferrers Road 2. Wrexham & Denbigh Road 6.'Harlow Roads 3. Mansfield & Worksop Road 7. St. Mary-le-bone Paving 4. Worksop & West Retford Road PRICE 0: THIS DAY AT STOCKS 'NE O'CLOCK. Bank Stock shut 5 per Cent. Navy Ann.lo4 1031 3 per Cent. Red. shut India Bonds s3s. 555. 3 per Cent. C0n5....80 808 79h Excheq. Bills 3 1 4 3 pr. 3i per Cent shut Bank for Opening 250 h } h I 4 per Cent. shut Cons. for Account 80e .34 HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. 5161-ning, 24 minutes after 11. 1 Evening, 48 minutes after 11. THE SUN. SOLEM QUIS DICERE FALSUM AUDEAT ? LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1822.