The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-31 00:00:00

.1.,

Lsq. and every hang Oka_ ttes to hilts,
(tort the same.
On the Motion of Mr. 131.A.cit Gees, tile Petition
of the Calico-Printers was referred to is-Committee.
Mr. Ecticr" Mr. BARLOW, and Mr. DicKrs-
sots, jun. obtained leave of absence for short pe-
riods.
The SPEAKER reminded the !louse, that there
were two ballots for to-morrow, when the names of
absent Members would be taken down, and there
would be a call of the Ilothe. He also stated (in
answer to an Hon. Member who asl:ed the question)
that he should count the House at the usual hoar,
half past three o'clock.
sir. BAILEY moved, that the order of the day
for the House resolving itself into a Committee of
• the whole [louse on the St. Vincent and Grenada
Loan Bill, he now read.
Mr. BAILEY then moved, that the Speaker
should leave the Chair.
Sir RORER is BUXTON oppor.ed the Motion ;
he had o'sjeaed to the measure tiont the beginning.
It was a principle that ought never to have been
:Idopted. We tind that the money has not been paid
when the time expired. We arc now going to renew
it for a longer term, and when that is out also, we
may go on in the same way—it could ni.t he said
how long. The mischief of applying, public mo-
ney, for the purposes of individuals in trade, was
toe, obvious to require cernment, :nut in the highest
de,free injurious to the country.
Mr. HOBHOLTSE agreed with the Hon. Rani. •
net, that great precaution was necessary in lending
the public money. The Hon. Baronet opposed. it
at first, and opposes it now : but the case was very
ditleient. Of fourteen hundred thousand pounds,
in sit years the debt was reduced to five hundred
and sixty thousand pounds ; and it could not be de-
flied that fly: security met-eased as the debt dimi-
nished; so that a Gentleman who opposed it in the
beginning may reasonably support it now. It was
a matter of the highest importance, and produaive
of the greatest advantage to the country ; for, in
consequence of the a.tvaece made to the merchants,
the two islands were pn...seived in a flourishing con-
dition, producing annually upwards of 30,0a0 hogs-
heads in valuable raerchandise, to the great encre.tse
of the revenue. Ile' would again obsuve, that the
debt was redeced, and the security enc.:eased ; and
from a full cenvietion of the necessity and utility of
the measure, it »ILE with his thorough approha-

don.
Mr. 301-INSTONE.—.Ihat there was no Mem-
ber f this House a ith whose sentiments he was so
generally agreed,as with his Hen. Friend who spoke
last, but in this point he must • differ with him.
Lending the public money to individuals, even at
good interest, be contended, was highly objeclion-
able, in a constitutional point of view. It affeeled
the landed interest, and persons conflated with the
itionietl interest would attach themselves to Govern-
ment if permitted to come into this I louse on such
occasions. It was highly injurious to the country
to have Government interfere in mercantile affairs,
by loan or otherwise. As to the time stated in
which which the deia was reduced, the Hon. Gen-
tleman seems to be in a mistake, instead of six years
it is now nearly eight years. And tl-is has one on,
under several specific Atts of Parliament : in short,
no less than six hills were past, each limiting a time
of payment. He would ask if this was not fixed as
the 1 _st time for payment ? His lion. Friend stated,
that out of fourteen hundred thousand pounds, the
debt had been reduced to five hundred thousand. The
rata is this, that one-third is only paid. He would ask
what better security we had now for the payment of
the instalment:, than we had last year ? The lion.
Gentleman has stated the vast consequence wising
from the importation of thirty thousand hogsheads
of sugar, and the encrease of revenue derived
from the same, but it should be understood
that these hogsheads were generally exported,
and that we paid a bounty on the exportation, so
far from deriving an encrcase of revenue. The fait
was this ; the Merchants overstocked the market,
and then feeling the consequences, came forward to
declare their loss. And he wished to know, what
reason there was for granting greater indulgence to
the West India, than to any other trade ? He would
repeat, that the interfering of Government in mer-
cantile affairs, either by granting loans, or any-
other way, was highly mischievous, and particularly
to the lauded interest. The last time it was stated,
in a specific manner, that there should not be ano-
ther application ; he was, then:fore, against the
Speaker's leaving the Chair.
Mr. Vt'st. Dl N DAS said, the Honourable Gen-
tleman took an opportunity of entering on an ab-
stral question, which was not before the House.
In 1795, under circumstances arising from
.the
scourge of insurrection and the devastations of war,
they preserved the sovereignty of these island, to this
country ; and is it too much to grant them this indul-
gence now ?—Since that tune they have paid double
the sum in duty. The Hon. Gentleman's argu-
ment is against himself ; for, if they a-led short
periods, it must be with the hope of being able to
pay ; and the House, in relies% the indulgence,‘
considered it in that point of view. The fait was
this, the crops had fallen in value of late years ;
and, under such circuanstancts, will you press
upon the merchants. The Hon. Gentleman says,
he hates Government's dabbling in commerce—Does
the Hon. Gentleman remember the case of Liver-
pool and other places, to whit h Gov.:llllmin ad-
vanced money under similar circumstances ? Did ,
the Hon. Gentleman oppose those measures? He
concluded by supporting the question.
Mr. ROSE said, the 'Right Hon. Gent. who had
mist sat down had anticipated his sentiments. The
Hon. Centlenran should consider the importance of
the West India trade in other points of view. The
number of ships and hinds employed was alone
onficient to point out its importance. He would
ask, if Exchequer Bills had not been issued in 1793,
when there was a total stagnation of trade, what
would have been the consequence? He was sorry for the
occasion which renders this application necessary ;
and the depressed state of the value of produce en-
titled them to the support of Parliament.
Mr. DENT was in favour of the measure, in its
original and present state; he was confident that
the relief afforded by the loan was prodative of
the best consequences to the islands, and advantage
to this country.
Mr. ALEXANDER was_ of the same opinion.
Mr. MANNING said, that it was owing to the
residents in the islands that the sovereignty of them
was preserved to the Sovereijri"of this country. At a
time when an insurredtion prevailed in the islands,
and the regular forces were employed on other ser-
.


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