The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-03-22 00:00:00

comet_ losses they
might sustain. Great numbers joined the royal
standard. In the peace of 178.4, there were two
cl , whose case wait provided for by articles
in the Treaty, of a very different chneucter, and
they were very differently treated. The loyalists
had risited and lost their lion;la and other
property, their persons being attainted and•
their possessions confiscated by the Legislatores of
America.• The other close was that of•commercial
people, who wrie engaged in trading with the
American States, who were provided for by the
fourth• article of the Treaty, which article stipu-
lated for the payment of all debt, to creditors on
either side, and that no impedintents shoold be put
in the wet of' their rrcovery by course of law.
The fifth article stipulated that persons possessed
of. lands, who bed left the Coifed Stales, should
be allowed to reins, end during she course of
twelve mend's, during which period they would be
allowed t,, remain, and endeavour to recover their
property if I oeti-tared. Meantime the fullest
comecasation lur the losses of the loyalists
Was promised by the English Govertimene-..:
Lord 'lnas low, then ClumeeNtre, speaking
of their claims on one occasion, amid that
their fulfilment would certainly take place as a
in rater of reason, perhaps of policy, hut certainly
of religion and virtue. Mr. Townslientl sad the late
Chief Weal) nieitonald supported their clainie in
dacussions which took place in the Lower House.
'There eta an IlinialiCable Friend of his opposite,
al at the wily :Member who was in Posibeniesit at
the time, who would, he 'trusted, presently affirm
what he had recited, of the'opinions entertained of
there claints by the Parliament of that period. By
the 23:1 Geurge I l 1. Conimissinnens were appointed
to carry ludo effect the engagements of the British
Government to these loyalists, to whom all the
claims were referred. 'they received the claims
or those *hi) bard' lost • land er other property by
confiscation, but weuld not re' eise the claims of those
who had. Londe or securities ou America, referring
them to;the American Legislature, litatlo try for the
recovery of such property, according to the 4th at.
tide of the Treaty. A case of this kind was tried
in America, and the Attortiey. General of the Court
wire enabled to notisuit the Plairoilf,. because that,
being a refugee and an onetime-el person, he had lost
his claim to the debt in-oineNion in common with.
the general ecnifiaratibn Of preperty. By the
Treaty ol Airily Md. Voinmerce of 17,94, America
undertook to make .full .compensatitsii to all Bro.
tish creditors„ but mill nits did 'not include
the loyalist., • *hp •*.efeV rebels• guff ltfugree to
the American thwilfoo.t, pbt.iluid rg-
conemeaded the Howie .to cit-itipensate those who
had lost lauds and professional advantage, in conse-
quence of their liens allegiance to the King, and en
a tttttt ul vote had been -pissed for that porptoe from.
1797 down to the, present year. 1802 Lord Li-
verpool stipelitte4, Ind the Amelicatte agreed, to
pay over 600,0d0f. to compensate losses which had
been incurred -by the English iii the course of the
revolutiou, All this limited that lapse of time had
set rip no bar to these clitims. From a paper which
he held in Matti!, it appeared that all the Tieattes
subsequeneto die Peace to 1785 held recognised the
priliciple of compensation. %Viten the case was
first stibmitted to his coosideration he dirt hope the
Government of the country would lrwe turned their
attention tb it, and that it would Lot have been tie-
&Sorry fur such au humble individual as he was to
tiring it before the House. He bad, however, as
the matter devolved un him, eittleavuored to make
as clear a statement us lie could of the hardships
of these people.--(Hear, hear, hear./--It was
Matter much to be regretted that the country
never took one step to fulfil the pledge they bad
given.. He should have been glad to have brought
the matter before the House in the shape of a Peti-
tion ; but thellmose must be 'aware that Petitions
for a grant of Public enmity could nut be received
except by consent ef the Crown. He was therefore
under the necessoty of making such a 'Minim as would
bring the whole ciise before tile consitleretion of Put-
!lament. A reporting, gone abroad that the cast had
been de cided,but it iievsr had been broughtbefure the
consideration of the I louse in any regular sh ipe
until that night. If cempetisstion were denied to
these men, whet confidetice would any mats place
in the Givertitnent ? Must dangerous infelenees
might be draws, flout such a refusal. The papers
for which he should miser would lay the whole of
the transactions before the Ileuse, mid theta they
would hare an opportunity of seeing whether the
statements lie bad 'nude were correct. Thanking
the House for the attentiou they had paid loin, he
should conclude Ly mcvisig—
" That so humble .Adtlfews be presented to his Majesty,
praying that he would be graciously pleaselt- to order to be
laid before the Mouse copies Of all the papers and erne.
inunicatioes that passed between the British' Gocei 'fluent
and those persons tannic ibesuselies r American Loyalists,'
from the 4th April, Isl 2, to the present day."
DICKINtiON came to ocCond the 'notion, and
in doing so lie did not feel it necessary to say lowly
words after the clear and a di4actory statement
that had beets made. These persons were deter-
mined to persevere in their claims, fur when they
went into the Courts of Americo, they were treated
as outlaws, end were told they could get en com-
pensetion. He lied no knowledge of these parties
except from their history. He understood they
were persons that had deserted their country and
their homes to serve the British Goverinnent its
America, and had, therefore, claims upon tie, which,
if now denied, would go down to posterity.
Mr. We. Sums observed, that if prejudices
could he allowed to exist on any side, it should be
in favour of those persons, who fled suffered mate-
rially air consequence of the length of time that had
been suffered to elapse without meeting their de-
Maude. 'this was use of the greatest hardships
they had to complain of. Forty years ago they
were mantled to these claims, and the suns would
be trebly•iucreosed since ihrt time by interest. Yet
this very length of time, whit la is one of their greatest
hardships, is made au argument against them. This
was a most shocking aggravation of their sufferings.
This country has Inca lung in the habit of granting

called compensations fur offices that are
persons who, when they held them, por-
no duty; yet now we refuse to grew the
ipensetion to there persons who nit* just
1. Early in life be was qpposed in politics
men ; he was old enonglPto rememhre the
i war, and at that time he thought the
of these-men almost deserved punishment ;
the period he- opposed io them,
be could never have wished them half the herd-
rhips they have since endured.—(Hear, hear.)—.
. With respect to their sufferings, he had been him-
self a witness for some lime, and he would relate
an anecdote that would give some idea of then).
In a conversation which he had on the subject with
an American, alter various remarks, be asked. him
hoW his patience lasted so long? to which he repli-
ed, that there bad been suicides enough amongst
—thrum. The tone of voice in which these words were
uttered he need not describe.'
Mr. WttaEltlOßet observed, that he urelerstood
a more particular motion would be laid before the
House on the subject, which would bring the mat-
ter fully before them. Ile would not therefore de-
tain the. Ilouse thee, but he would exhort the
House to bear in mind the sufferings these people
had endured, and that they should endeavour to re-
deem the natiptial character, slid give these persons
comproisatiten.—(Heat, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER raid, that
perlisps one of the greatest Hardships to which men
t lit office were exposed was, that they were in their
official capacity compelled to do acts which, in
their private characters they should wi.h to ay.si,l,
and never, in the course of his public Itfe, was he
called on to perform an act more painful to his pen;
vale feeling.. When first the convideration of.the
merchant creditors and the American loyalists was,
brought before the Government, amongst the va-
rious conansuuications that fell to his lot, he made
ouc on this subject, and he, yielding to his feel-
nog*, was perhaps induced to hold out more en-
couragemeut than he .was justifier in doing. For
that act lie was of course responsible, and lie trusted
that at all events it would not affect the American
loyalists. The lapse of time that has occurred
should he no barrier to their claims; they had never
been lost sight of.. From year to year applications
had been made on the subject. and it was time now
that some end should be put to the matter, and that
they should receive compensation if the
went should think fit so to decide. They had el-
ready received a partial compensation, and be
thought that his Hon. Friend in demanding a full
compensation, had over-argued their case. On the
first iiiv.tettgittion it appeared, that the amount of
the daunt, including the loyalists and the British
creditots, was 1,450,0001.; and the amount of the
loyalists was something about 250,0004 A Joint
Cututnissioss was appointed to inve.tieate their
and the hose fida debts of the 11rstioli cre-
ditors. His Honourable and Learned Friend had
stated, that the claims of these per.otis that had
been satellite& by The American States. were op- .
posed by the Attorney-Geueral of America. Un-
lee. he WUt much misinlbrined, this vtatetnent was in-
correct. By the decieiou of the Coniiiitsionerr,
their clairnsWere fully tiseognised. He world not
then enter into detail., as he meant to agreeto the
motion for presenting the papers. The oil ect he
had in view was, to skew why the Ainericae
loyalists should not be separated from the-British.
subj.ct., and to prevent his Hon. Friend from
di awing such a conclusieo. He did not-. know-. •
more painful duty than to oppose men who had
suffered fur their country, and lie was sure the
House participated in. Asese feelings. The Right
I lon. Gentleman conit ogee! by stating, that she
should agree to .the the production of
the papers, but not with the view of holding out
any encouragestieut.
Dr. PtitLfAsiotte said, that this was one of the
greatest cases of justice that ever war brought
before the consideration .of Parliament. It ap-
peared to him that the [tight lion. Gentleman had
been led. into some confusion with respect to the
rights of the creditor and the loyalist. The loy-
ghats, as he mitlerstonsl, were persous, who from
allegiance and attachment to their Sovereign, left
their country and enitssrked in our cause against
America, so that this being the case, both the
Goverium lit and the Crown were pledged to give
them compensation.
111 r. 11,,OCKH..RT rose for the purpose of getting
an replan:onto. He agreed in the definition give'.
by the lion. and Learned Gentleman that just sat
down, of the American loyalists. They had left
their country and their homes in the service of the
British Government, and elthough pedal's not
entitled to full compensation, they were entitled
to the fullest the country could afford. Ile would
wish the Huns and Leaned Gentleman to explain
whether the Americau loyalists ore the persuns he
list! described ?
Mr. COURTENAY shortly replied, and the Ad-
dress was agreed to without a divisiuu.
MALT TAX.
Mr. WFAcrEasi rose to make his motion for the
repeal of the additional tax imposed on malt by
the Act of 59 Geo. lii. Ile hoped the House
would favour him with its attention for a short pe-
riod to a subject of the greatest importance to
the result of his motion, respectieg it vast numbers
of persons were hooking with the most anxious im-
patience. Ile thought he had • ease so strong that
the I louse would be induced to repeal the tax, and
whether looking to its operation on agriculture,
or on the habits and morals of the people, or looking
to its effects on the revenue, in all those venous
lights lie thought the House would agree with
him that mound policy sic well as justice required its
repeal. end to reduce the lon, of taxation which
pressed upon the agriculturist. The Right Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Vesssittart) admitted, that in 1816
lie had made out so strong a case, that he was then
induced to lower the duty on malt 161. per quarter.
He could not agree with the notion, that a Member
proposing the repeal of any particular tax was
bound to find a substitute for it ; it was sufficient
for him that the one he insight to repeal was injurious
to the interests of the cotristty. He did slot desire,
even if it were competent to him to do it, to lay on
additional taxes iii the place of that which he
sought to repeal, for it was one of the objects of
his motion to reduce the aggregate amount of the
taxation which was now pressing with such aggra-
vated force upon the people. He was not one of
those who desire to shift the burdens of the agri-
culturist upon other du, sei of the community; he

the statement of this cotintry, rebellion against the what are
dominion of England. It was the duty of .10se lust, by p
who guided; the councils of this kingdom to toll formed no
wisi
hakt
on all who owed ellegianCe to. this 'Gsgiirinsag to . just, comp
be true to t llernsace. During the ware,leh &mends.
~,
continual fro • 776 to 2783, the lovlists in- to these in
vited by-proclamations, and all'orliertneansWhich American
could be used, to support the c4nse of kingly go. conduct o
vernment, sod the' were promised-kr-41 these do.. ' bat at th
cuments indemnification for whatever losses they he could