The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-05-18 00:00:00

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Mr. F. BUXTON explained, and urged his question
again.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER made a re.
ply, which was not heard its the gallery.
Mr MONEY thought that the swear trade might to be
throws open to the prodesets of the East !oldie*, because there
were so assay restriction* on all the ethers. The cotton me.
nofactieres, which had existed In India for 2.000 yeare, and
bad attracted. adventurers to overrun the reentry by their
skies, were goiwed by the prohibition of their nousuftee-
, tom Isere, aod the unrestricted imporiatio9 of British (id-
iom' there.
Mr. W. SMITH contended that it was only a qneetion
hollows the East and West Ironic trade, and by ni, means
one of • free erode. If this measure Were Puled, it would
Impose a tax upon the consumers in this country of from
one to Iwo millions sterling • year. There had been a mu..
tool monopoly between Great Britain and her Weet Lydia
Colonies, and this measure would be to the dieledvatosee of
loth, for the gain, if any, would he made out of the pockets
of the consumers in the fernier, and at a great risk, and in.
creased loss, In case of failure of the speculations to which
it would lead, to the latter. The ihmovesble Member coo-
mired the mode in which the Legislature had proceeded on
this subject, toed referred some detail to the proreedineo
of the House its 1753. e was sorry to say that if the West
India Coloniet were now is distress, it was not the Rust time
by many theethey had breasts, nor did be think it would he
the tail, if ellth only coarse of relief was to he (wind in* mea-
sures of thittlaerription. The convenience and ineonve-
aieece was Militia and reciprocal between this connetry and
the Coloniite;'sffili If (be mosopoly were now to be relaxed in
fawner of the Colonies, the people of Great Biilain would
nut long milsonit to tee bnend by it. If they were 'Wooed
to en to say pert of the world In search of a market fur their
moire, the inhabitants of Great Britain would not rest until
they had the liberty of goitre whitherenever they pleased in
March of their supply of tint article. The monopoly ought
in be maintained entire, or destroyed entirely, and which of
the two he thought mattered hot little. •
Mr. BARHAM said, that be and all those who were con.
cerned *lathe Colonies were reedy to subscribe most fully
to the elpeteine of the last speaker, that the monopoly ought
to he preecesed entice to both parties, or loosened by both
alike. pee was the principle on which they founded
their eapej, to that they looked, as the charter by which their
interesterwiesesecured ;lint there was rue attempt to evade the
monopoly by the Optimist.. The Arai infraction of the mo-
nopoly was by the throwing open of the 1.0•1111 i and East
bailie trade. They now proposed to introduce East ladia
sugars; they might as well give up the West India Colonies
altogether. This cry . about fait and liberal principles of
trade was truly surprishig, as coming (mom a quarter where,
until "ivy lately, no sorb principle would for • moment have
been listened to—from the East India interest., pillions
deriving their proete front a quarter from when:* the chicle
British empire, themselves excepted, were entire', excluded.
and not :st tangle Britoil, without their permission; could,
*alit lately, put Isis foot.
Mr. ELLICE rose to support the Bill, because it was an
approach to • free trade from a slate of complete monopoly,
guarding at theasme time from all injury the vested iutereeta
of those engaged In that monopoly. Within that limit I.e
was ready to support the seinneal of any restrictions upon
any particular trade that now existed. Many of the topics
that had been introduced into this diseussioo were wholly
disconnected with this question ; and he should be prepared
to speak to the grounds emit. winch his conduct In respect
to them would rest, whenever they were brought tooter the
dietiact cousideratiuu of the House. On the other hoed,
some topics bed been overlooked which were intimately con-
✓ected with it. The Hon. Baronet (Sir W. Curtis) bed
anticipated considerable prejudice to the shippieig iutewest
from this measure. He (Mr. E.) •pprebended such a fear
to be groundless. If that Ilun. throne' had joined his eon-
tions to those of an Hon. Friend of his, fur the removal from
the navigation (tithe country of • burden to ohick it was
meneeesearily sabjected, he meant the convoy duty in time of
war, he would much better coiroutt the interests orbit coned'.
*seats, then by opposing this simmer. The charges to
which the shipping interest were liable In the West ladies
were oleo • grievous burden. In the island of Trinidad thee
amount chimed-fur fees to the several officers, is 1814, upon
a. ship of 300 tons. was 891 ; •nd that charge bad beets so
meek ,iesered•ed, thet, In 1820, 1501 were charged for the
same fees on • ship of 350 ions. In some of the Colonies,
Demerits, Beehice,and the oilier Dutch seolements, a consi.
derebk reformation had taken place in *hit respect, and he
believed still farther reformation was intend, d. But it would
still be found that the chargeoupon a British ship in the Bri-
tish Colonies, exceeded by four times the amount those oat •
foreign ship in • foreign colony. It might be said that if the
tonowe duty were removed, the reveune would suffer. It
might be so; but lithe security of the country nosed mews
Its naval force, they must pi meet the interests of U. Devise.
Sloes, end place it on an equal footing with that of other
conotries. He had that day seertained that the whole sum
charged at Charleston by the American' Government un a
vessel of 963 tons, amounted to t 3 dollars. Generally *peek.
ing, the ease allot Colonies was as hopeleee and desperate
acwhat they had beard of the hagfish farmer. Could 'm-
ailer then be done to relieve them > He woold give one
instaece. The island of St. Lucie lied a population of
littered% 16,008 and 18,000 souls. In 1814 it was retained
by Wis. euenetry, because it was the naval key to the
whole of our West India posseasione. Its produce at
that 'hue was from 6 to 7.000 hogsheads of eager anonally,
which, during the time of good prices, produced a revenue
to the propeietore of shoot 120,0001. The amount of the
taxes paid by the Island before it came into our possession
was 8001. sod the grouch Government, for that porn, pro-
vided every thing. Several Oovernors bad been 'co out by
this country, one of whom, hr believed, ass cashiered fur
hi, miscoodect, bat even the others exacted exoibitaut fees.
In 1817, the island suffered from a hurriesue, sod was taxed
Gosh, purpose's of rebuilding the public. 'foreknow', the
's house, sod ether buildings. In 1818 they had
a little remission of that taxation. In 11119 another hurt,
cane destroyed all the biuldiege that had hems, newly erected,
and In 1820 and 1821,the island was taxed beyond endurance
for the re.erection of those building', end the support of the
persons sent out front this country. The Gevernor, be be.
limed, was a highly meritorious officer, sod be was quite
reedy to agree that his services should be liatidsonsely re-
warded. But if such OWVllell were to be rewarded. it ought
to be done in a proper way, and this cutout ey might not to
farm off its officers upon the Colonies iii I hat manure. The
whole produce of the island last year iled not exceed
49,0001. and the charge fur taxes was 111.000/.—(Hear,
Len.)—lt could not possibly he paid; end such a eye.
tern could not go on. He stated these things in that
House, became- be thought it the best way of stieugthereing
the hands of Government against the incessant deemed.
made upon It fur places in those Wino. s ; and be did think
that Government stood greatly fu need of pm/echos hum
the host of •pplicatiums ofielist nature with which it was
rontlouslly pestered. It was not necessary that the colony
he heel teamed phould have a distinguished officer of high
rank for its Governor. Why would out • Major of • veteran
hattabon, 'Weenie officer of that description, do as well? ,
He wee under the inspection of the Governor of Berbodues„
and therefore • G4)W1101' of lower rank would be equally
efficient. He thought the whole of the conquered Cul ssss ics
would be found to be nearly in the same ; they
stood greatly iii need of some improvement in the loon of
their goveruq(eut. The taxes, as every body knew, though
t
as
re to
ur-
iihfcei-es executing Fdsoi umbayea Iwt hahroUnGot whimsical ‘lpr; rwi:j soil
(alb:tins lesuferofrrn",thseapaud which purpose
the
iediebitants found to he entirely ran y. There ought
to be some form s.f gore. meet *dewed, which the 1104.
tritons might he able to understood the operation of, and
which would set some limit to the power of imposing taxes.
He thought that would be a lit subject of inquiry for a Select
Committee of the Mom in snutber &mime. He mentioned it
now. because, from the business berme the Honer, it was nut
likely that another ',profusely would occur in the reseed
Session fur dierussing the ad's'', of the Colonies; end Ise-
cause it was intimately conuecicil with the question non
under cousiilerotion, if, as it purported, this measure
were intended fur the relief of lime Weet Jodie Coluoies,
Those Colonies were nor /Offering its the extreme. He feared,
indeed, notwithatendiag the decoration of the Noble Lord
(Londonderry), that the whole of the newest& of oh* crienery
we re suffering (rola various causer, though it might be perhaps
that their "fC Qae til two Causes which to 1101111 e mrasnte

• •

affected the whole. Amang those he should reckon the alter*.
thin of the mikes 's', Ulrich had grly affected the value
of
property in the Colonies. Prop there was generally
were la debt than in flAs country, and soy chance affecting
the relation of debtor nod creditor felt with greater weight
upon the
.plaoters. He was not in any fearof differ**, with
his Honourable Friend- (Mr. Ricardo) opon abstract pets.
cartes here, because there had never been a paper eiseremey
in the West Indira; the currency there, although debased,
• tied ewer-beta a metallic currency: Rat in the year 1815,
wittwirer contracted in the West Indies to pay 100/. sterling,
paid 155 f. in West India currency; and in 1022, for the same
sets of toot steals,. be had to pay 2471 in cerreisey. The
efilpOint Interest appeared to kiln to have been io less affected
by the same measure. Is fart it had operated a diminution
of at least one half in the value of capital vested in ship-
ping, and had redficid the proGts in that capital from 15
per cent. at the torrent, to hardy 5 per cent. at the highest.
He mentioned (Ms mereiy in annaer to what had fallen from
.the Noble Lord ou a former occasion, when, in speaking of
the agricultural interest, he stated that it was the only one
of all the great interests of the country that was sot in a
flourishing condition.
Mr. RICARDO mid he had but one observation to make
upon the question of the currency, on which his Hon.
Friend had made so direct an appeal to him. His Hon.
Friend had stated that, in the West ladies, a person con.
tractine to pay 1001. sterling, could pay it in ISIS with
151. of West India currency, andtbat now he would require
to pay she same amount in sterling, 247/. of the lame cur-
rency, that currency bring metallic., and not baring under-
gone any change. That statement did appear to him, for he
knew nothing of ilw facts. so very extraordinary, that he could
not help thinking his Honourable Friend must have
made some mistake. With revert to the quest ion before the
House, If he had wanted any argointrut in favour of freedom
of trade, he should have found it in the roseeclies which had
heen made on the present. °erasion. The West laths planter
could nut refine his own sugar; lie was obliged to mod it
to thin country, for the employment of our shipping, sod was
shot oat of every other In:like!. In rehire for that restric-
tion, he had the monopoly of the maiket of this country.—
Thus It wan, that n burden wan imposed upon one clam
of the subjects of chi, kinxdom fur the benefit of AO..
(ghee ; and in order to compensate those, another bur-
den was imposed on all the remaining classes of the
community. The whole system of the trade and uaviga.
tiros laws of this country, was clogged with so mach
evil of that kind that as emti.e Amore was oeceesary.
This question had bees very fairly compared to the agricul-
tural question. It was a contest bete/eta the poor lands of
our West India Islands, sextant the richer land, of our East
India poesensions ; and what he chiefly complained of was
the great sacrifice of Inman labour Under the present
system fir' no 'cooed refoilt. He could not agree with the
Hon. Member for Norwich (Mr. W. Smith) in thinking
that neither or the monopolies ought to be relaxed, unless
a corresponding alteration took place in the other. He
thought both monopolies were evils; each a separate evil in
itself, and affecting riot only one but balls parties, the
Colooies anti this country; anal if he mould get rid of one of
them, he would oilliorty it,. so; although he might not he
able to get rot of the other. He should therefore support
this Rill.

Mr. MARRYATT approved of the measure Nader
deletion, as lendiag to give to the West India trade and the
shipping interest an advantage corresponding with that
which had been given to the latter, in conjunction with
the East India interest, by the measure of last Session.
The amt. of our system were felt in other branches of trade.
Russia bad retaliated by prohibiting our woollens in return
for oar prohibition of her linen,. He could bear testimony
to the extreme distress of the Colonies. Leeward Island
rum had been selling at ls. 4.1. per gallon. The freight
amounted to 9.1. per gallon, the other charges amounted to
34. per gallon, leaving only 4d. per gallon fur the rum,
whirls was not sufficient to pay for the coals which
were sent from Ibis country, mud the planters had declared
their intention of throwing lathe molasses as manure upon
the land, which would involve the serious loss to this coun-
try of the coals and the freight. The planters (mild not es-
peel to have the great prices which they had bad, but he
hoped they would he reliesed from the pressure of their pre-
mess intolerable distress.

Mr. WILBERFORCE thoneht that while the Rouse were
legislating fur the hen. fit of the colonists, some measure
shoald.he adopted to prevent the illicit importmieuef slaves
into the Colonies, mid for !bat purpose be should recent.
mend • general Registry Bill of the slaves In all the Islands.
Mr. BEI{ NA L was aver.ie from cloreing t►is. übich was
• measure not for the Inroefit of the West India plashes,
bust fur the general body of sbip•uwacra, with any measure
hits s Registry Bill.
A Member, whose name we could sot Inns, sup d
11111wilas sentiments. as to the :nexperheitcy of any such met-
ing', as recommentled by the lion. Member fur Slumber.
Mr. MANNING curroborsted the statements of the Hon.
Member for Sandwich, as to the distresses of the West lochs
Colonists.

Mr. BROUGHAM said, be apprehended his Honourable
Ft iced, the Mrenber for Rochester, had entirely mistaken the
ob,-ervations of his Honourable Friend the Member for
Smother, who was the last tnau in the world to advocate any
hasty headlong measure of emancipation fur the slayer. A
gradual smultorsilots of their runduitin was all that his Hon.
Friend looked fur. He agreed with those who described the
extreme dirirers of the colonist., and for his part was Jr.
sit-our that the present measure should pass unclogged with
any condition whatever.
The Bill was them read a second time, and committed for
this day week.
IRISH POOR RELIEF.

Mr. GOUILBURN brought in the Rill for employing t►e
poor of Ireland, w►ic► was read a first and secund times and
ordered le he committed to-morrow.

The Huaie then resolved ilself into a Committee to erns.
rider of the propriety of granting • rupply ro his Majesty,
fur the porpove of erriployon the poor of lrrlsud.a
_a__

. .
Mr. 1,10111.1311.1 RN. coved (Cat a oust of 50,0001. be
granted for that purpose.
Sir N. COLTIIURST highly approved of the measure;
sod as he was not to the !loose last night, took the preseut
opportunity of expressing his grAlification al the noble con-
duct of the people of Euelanit, ler the promptitude with
whirh they bad stept forward to the relief of their Irish
brethren.

Mr. BECHER joined in the "raiment" of the Hun.
Member who had just sat down, as to the conduct of the
people of England, but he did nut think the Government
could be acquitted of lardistemi iu coming forward, as the
distress was known an early as November last,
Mr JOHN SMITH approved of the present measure, and
thought the (wintry was infinitely todebied to the Right Hots.
Gealtinan who brought it forward, as it would tend to du
more good than any measure of any Govern:lv-et. Ile in-
stanced the peat distress that prevailed in the barony of
Moyarty, mid expi cued hi, willingness to vote fur five limes
the amoont of she sum proposed.

Mr. 14.t411TH color:2401e conduct of the Drapers' Com-
pany of Lundou, who possessed large estates in lrelsull; but,
it•stead of coosidering how they could make the most of the
✓ests and roils, as soon as the estates came into their pos-
session, they began by comoderiog how they could must
basil, their tenantry, consisting of upwards of 10,000 per-
sons, and had actually expended, be believed, nearly 20,0001.
in that way since they had het , its powitssioa of the estate.
The Don. Member extruded the same praise to the Cons-
witty to which he hod the honour to belong, situ bad nut
• abt.Te one•eishth ratite mutt., leaving the other seven.
euglitta to be expended is the improvement a the estates.
He mentioned these circumstances fur Iwo reasons; Rest,
is eause tt prevents obloquy from living cast upon those who
as, little deferred it ; and, secondly, because it would polut
oust all am plc worthy of imitation, and which, if followed
plier.elly, would alert all the ralsmisies they now deplored.
Ito Mil not wish to 'nuke any invidious remarks, belt ho
e,,,,ht not help seeing that there hail been a great wait of
rseition on the part of Ilse lisuollords to relieve the dai-
lies", s wider which their runutry• laboured.
Mr. 1114.11ARD MARTIN lose fur the purpose of din.
eliargim; •urns part of that debt of gratitude which Irelaud
owed to England for her splendid exertions on her behalf.
If ever England owed a debt ho his roitutty, it was now
fully ei4rhareed —(Hear.)—Al the mime time, he wished to
cattalo" Gentlemen against being deluded by any attempt to
eons, it she calamities of !reboot, to party purpose,. An
attempt would bt made iu a few night, by en Hon Gentle.