The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-08 00:00:00

oxo

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAT, FEBRUARY 7.
The LORD C ANCILLOR took his seat at 5 o'clock.
PUBLIC BUSINESS,
PETITIONS.—By Lord Csiermu.r., from the Order of Odd Felknni
of tog Sutton, praying to be Included in the opirstion of the Hewett
Societies Act —kart of Euturros, from provers, bau., and town
mooed of Glasgow. against any alteration m this navigation laws--
Earl IrrawnAtan, from Doncaster, for the removal of Jewish
hilitics—Vircount Canning, from proprietors and piss s c of Tast e.
Car relief.—Earl Guar, from a Maim Dot heard, in hamar of the re-
moval of Jewish disabilities.—Lord SiANLIR, from Trelawney and
other places in the West Indies; from the West lodm Ameciation of
Liverpool; the Bishop of ()moan, from the comma! and areembly of
Berbadoes; Lord AMISUILION, from the standing commintee of the
West India planter. and nicrehanLs from Mauritius proprietsra, and
s petition from other pardon, whose designation did nut reach the
gallery all complaining of &Mem. and praying far protection.
RETVICUS PRMENTED.—By the Margined Liam:nave. returns
with reference to the Court of Session in Scotland, and the liabilities
of the Bank of Ireland.
FIRST RF.ADINO.—BiII for Establishing Diplomatic Relations
watt the Court of Rome.
- - • .
.
• -

sow •.••• —•—
The Bishop of MiNctiesinn took the oaths and his sent.
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE COURT
OF ROME.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE begged to lay on the
table of the house a bill fur the purpose of enabling her Ma-
jesty to establish diplomatic relations with the Court of
Rome. It would be printed, and in their lordships hands
to-morrow (this day). He begged to propose that it should
be read a first time, and he would move that it be read a
second time on Friday sent, until which time he thought he
should best consult the wishes of their lordships by abstain-
ing from entering into any particulars respecting the
measure.
Lord STANLEY would offer no opposition to the bring-
ing in of the bill, but he would not bind himself to the
course he should adopt on the second reading. It might be
desirable that diplomatic relations should exist between the
sovereign of this country and the court of Rome, as temporal
princes, but it must be subject to such restriction, as might be
necessary for satisfying the scruples of the people of th is °sentry
He thought, however, that it was precipitate to read a mea-
sure of so much importance a second time for the purpose of
discussion on so early a day unless there was some urgent
necessity for it which he could not discover ; and he trusted
the noble marquis would give to the house and the country
ample time for the consideration of such a measure.
Tha Marquis of LANSDOWNE had Ise desire tow as-
due precipitation in verging forward the measure. It could
not, however, come with turprise either upon their lordships
or the country, inasmuch as many noble lords had adverted
to the subject at different times, and before the recess he bad
stated a very decided opinion upon it himself. When the
noble lords had setn the bill to-morrow, if it was then con-
sidered expedient he would name a later day for the second

reading.
The Duke of RICHMOND thought a bill of so much im-
portance ought to be well considered. The country would
not be prepared for it; and he was surprised that it had not
been introduced into the Queen's ape ‘ ch. A great portion
of the people of England would Wok that such a measure
violated their religious feelings.
Earl FITZWILLIAM had no doubt that some persons
would think their religious feelings violated by such a mea-
sure; but he was confident that the great taw of the people
would not even feel their religious prrjudi, es offended by the
introduction of a measure by which her Majesty woe enabled
to minore a doubt whether her minister. would not be liable
to persecution and penalties if they eoterid into diplomatic
relations with the Pope ea a temporal priuce.
The Earl of EGLINTON was surprised at the haste with
which it was proposed to discuss the merits of suer a mea-
sure. It was impossible that the people of Scotland would
have been able to read it before the sli,cussion on it would
be taken.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE would fix a more distant
day for the second reading, but he would prefer nit naming
the day then. (Hear. hear.)
WEST INDIA COLONIES.

Iserd STANLEV, in inventing several petitions from the
West Indite, complaining of the act if ISIb, and praying
fur relief, said it would be convenient, considering the in-
terest which the subject excited throughout the country, to
state generally the views entertained by the peti•ioners of
the state of the West India colonies, and the remedies which
they suggested; as also how far he was disposed to concur
is their propoditiom. Although there were different recom-
mendations in the petitions, yet in their main allegations
they all concurred. They all alleged that the sugar planting
interest was in a moat depressed and alarming state, which
W bean produced by the passing of the act of the session
balm the but. (Hear.) 'the petition of the Liverpool
dmwahtion said that, suffering under the cruel consequences
of Om inconsistent legislation on the subject, the petitioners
wilt utterly at a loss to know what courts* to pursue, and
they therefore threw themselves on the house, and implored
that, at the earliest moment, they might know what mea-
sures, if any, were contemplated with reference to the West
India colonies. The petitioners further stated that, if par
Bement intended to pereevere in the course which they had
alreaey adopted, it was better at once to declare what was
to be the fate of teme British possessions. lie concurred
with the petitioner a.s ta all the evils they complained of ;
(or be believed the condition of the West India colonies to
be most embarrassed and alarming ; and he concurred with
them that, after having surmounted the difficulties imposed
upon them by I. gislatiou, and when they mere successfully
struggling to overcome those difficulties—moreover, at the
moment when they had the greatest reason to rely with con-
fidence onFotection of the British legislature, a sudden
and tine: change in the legislative policy of this
country d aggravated the evils under which they
suffered, and plunged them in the depths of ruin.
He also agreed with the petitioners that it was
important early to know the intentions of the go-
vernment. It was hardly necessary to trouble their
lordships with any statements to prove the state of
the West India colonies. He would, however, refer
to a statement which had appeared in the paper" from the
standing committee of West India proprietors and mer-
chants. [The noble lord here read the document referred to
setting forth the distress of the colonies.) But as it was poe-
sible that individual instances might have more weight than
a general statement, he would refer them to a document
which had been put into his hands by a respectable pro-
prietor of Demerara, which stated that from the Ist of Jan.
to the Ist of July, 1847, the price of sugar had ranged from
211. to 181. per hhd., whilst, from the Ist of July to the Ist
of Jan., 1843, the prime varied from 131. to 111. per hhd.
The same gentleman stated that on one of his estates, last
year, the outlay had been 11,0001 , and the returns 9,5224,
whilst on another the disbursement' had been 8,407/. and
the receipts 8.1701. only. (Hear, hear.) By legislation,
then, it woul I appear that the price of sinter had been re-
duced to 111. per ton; and be had been told on good autho-
rity that morning that in Jamaica, Demerara.
and Trinidad, it was impos ible to raise 1,0001.
upon security of any of the sugar-growing estates
in those islands. He wished to refer. for the purpose
of his argument, to the state of the West India colonies pre
trious and subsequent to the emancipation act of 1833, by
which the utter abolition of slavery was accompanied by a
large and munificent grant, consistent with the claims of
humanity, justice, and policy. He should never be ashamed
of having submitted to parliament that meaattre, but great
as the sum of 20,000,0001. was, a greater pieuniary sacrifice
than bad ever been made to the claims of humanity by a
commercial nation, it was quite inadequate. Having
granted 20,000,0001., parliament decided that the ap
prenticeship should be for seven years, instead of twelve.
Afterwards it was agreed that the apprenticeship should
terminate at the end of five, instead of seven years, thus de-
priving the planter of two yearn' labour, which was part of
hie compensation ; and in August, 1838. it was finally pot
an end tn. During those discussions, it was laid down that
it would be a great evil if the result of emancipation should
be a less amount of production. He would now glance at
the state of the production of the West Indies previous to
emancipation, during the period of apprenticeship, and,
subsequently, during the time of unrestricted labour. He
had a return of the total amount of sugar of each year from
lels down to 1832, and until the period of emancipation
the West Indies supplied sear by year a greater amount of
sugar than was required for the consumption of this country,
thereby proving that they had no monopoly, because their
prices were regulated by the prices abroad, they being com-
pelled to send their produce to meet the produce
of other emintries on a footing of entire equality. The
gross consumption during the period he had named
was 57,000,000 twee., the average produce of thaw years
was 3,761,000 meta., and the average consumption
in this c matey was 3,212,000 meta. From 1835 to 1838,
during the apprenticeship system, the produce fell to
3,467,000 cent ; and instead of there being a surplus, as
there had been before, of upwards of 500,000 mem on the
average in each year, there has a deficiency in the whole of
I the latter period of 3,042,000 ewts. Now, with reference to
free labour, he would take it from 1839 to 1943. la the first
year the produce fell from 3,520,000 ewts. to 2,823,000 cuts. ;
in the next year to 2,0412,000 cwts. ; and in the year after to
2,e01,000 ews. In the time of slavery the average produc-
tion had been 3,700,000 ewe. ; during the period of appren.
ticeship 3,004,000 cwts.; and under the free-labour system,
2,438,000 meta Comparing the 12 years previous to eman-
cipation with the 12 subsequent years, thi re was, however,
an increase in the price of sugar, which indemnified the
planter for the diminished production. Front 1823 to 1834 the
average price was 295. sd. per cwt., whilst from 1836 to 1847
it had been 38e. p. r cwt. They had, however, to pay more
for the labour of production. And here he would observe
that no class of labourers in the world had more comfort and
enjoyment than the negro labourers in our West India
oelonim; and he would also do them the justice to add
that the manner in which they used such advantages re-
flected great credit on these, so far as their morel character
and conduct were concerned. (Hear, bear.) He had been
inform el that the cost of making sugar from DEO to 1834
had been 4s Stf. per cwt.; from 1834 to 1838, fie. 7d. per
cwt. ,• from 1838 to 184!,16.. Ild.; and from 1842 to 1846,
21e. 7d. 22e., he was told, was now about the price. But of
this sum 13s. went to the labourer, and the remainder was
all the plantnr had to meet the other disbursements on
his rstite. Notwithstanding all the difficulties thrown
in their way the pl hters did not despair, because
they relied on the declaration of parliament to afford
them protection. They acceded to the intrialuctioa of East
Indian sugar on the Mae terms as their own—they only
pealed that, as parliament had taken away their right hand
by depriving them of slave labour, they should give them as
advantage over slavmgrown produce. In 1840, although the
prize of sugar amounted to 42e. Bd. per cwt., parliament de-
clared that they Were in justice and honour bound to protect
the West India colonies, and it was declared that the House
of Commons would not admit s`aweirrown sugar in compe-
tition with their own fete-grown produce. A general den •
don was the result of that vote ; and be need not my that it
was sanctioned and affirmed by au appeal to the soontry
Was there not, then, ground for eonfilenet 1111
induce the West India proprietors to extend their egeffeliess
end the British capitalists to make advances ? (Briaribr.osik
1844.6, it wee thought adv.sable to lessen thy(
on West India produce end admit that of other'
where it was raised by free labour into our n
terms. But again, the principle wan laid down 41,,
I.
grown sugar should be plated on seek • footing fp,
*l-
--q-kaalLa

o~
,\